The Thai Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has confiscated two luxurious villas from operators of UFA, an illegal online gambling network for high rollers. As reported by The Thaiger, a Thai news outlet, the two properties are worth over 2 billion baht in total (roughly $56.5 million).

For reference, the villas are located in Phuket’s coastal area, overlooking Nai Harn Bay. Their combined area is around 3.75 acres. Both properties were called Thousand Hills Phuket.

The confiscation of the two properties was led by Director General Police Major Suriya Singhakamol. When the DSI officers arrived, the only people at the villas were housekeepers and ground staff. Suriya’s people notified the staff of the seizure and proceeded to place notices around the two properties.

According to the DSI, the two villas are owned by a syndicate that has connections to UFA, the aforementioned illegal gambling network. While all forms of online gambling are strictly prohibited in the country, illegal operators have been filling the niche.

Suriya learned that the properties are learned to a man who was identified as Phakphum, also known as Didi. He was arrested earlier this month and is believed to have been a revenue manager for the UFA network.

At first, Phakphum denied having been involved in the operation of UFA. However, he eventually admitted to his ties to the gambling operation and, as a result, was charged with violations of Thailand’s AML Act.

In addition to serving as the revenue manager of UFA, Phakphum was also related to the operation of factories that operated “mule accounts.” Phakpfum’s facilities were predominantly operated by migrants who used over 80 mule accounts for gambling websites.

According to The Thaiger’s report, 30 of these accounts were registered under the names of Thai players. Each of these accounts handled billions of baht in turnover and processed 3% of the income from the 83 gambling sites Phakphum managed.

The Crackdown Continues

The UFA network is believed to encompass dozens of websites. Its founder, Phuchit, is yet to be arrested as of the time of this writing. Suriya and the DSI are actively pursuing the mastermind, his sister, Phonpansa, as well as 13 other people with ties to UFA and its operations.

Suriya asked people connected to the illegal gambling operation to surrender themselves, lest they risk additional money laundering charges. The major believes that the seizure of the two villas is an important first step in the crackdown on UFA.

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A deadly fire at Casino Royale located in Monterrey, Mexico, dating to August 2011, resulted in the death of 52 guests. The arson attack was conducted by a criminal organization known as the Los Zetas. Now, more than a decade after the deadly crime, Luis Adán Gómez Vázquez, who also used the alias José Pérez and was infamous as “El Gordo” or “El Comandante,” suspected to be the head of the Los Zetas cartel, was sentenced to prison.

After a lengthy investigation and trial, Vázquez received a conviction of 32 years in prison. Along with that, he was hit with a fine of 392,610 pesos ($23,000). The man, believed to be the head of the deadly cartel serves his prison sentence at the Federal Center for Social Readaptation Number 7, located in Guadalupe Victoria, Durango, Telediario reveals.

Vázquez used to serve in the Army between 1993 and 1999. After that, from 2002 through 2008, he was a police officer as a part of the Monterrey municipal police. Then in 2008, it is believed that he became a part of the Los Zetas cartel.

In light of his extensive experience with law enforcement, he had accumulated knowledge and connections that were beneficial for the cartel. An investigation claimed that he was in charge of a network of “vigilantes”, individuals also referred to as hawks, that used to patrol the city and report activities by law enforcement officers.

Despite the allegations of a relation of the cartel to the deadly fire at Casino Royale in 2011, Vázquez was sentenced to prison over other charges. He was arrested in September 2011 after extensive surveillance work.

Vázquez was detained along with other alleged cartel members and in possession were found long and short-barrel weapons, along with ammunition and narcotics. It is believed that while in the Army, Vázquez created contacts that enabled him to gain access to weapons that are exclusively available to soldiers.

The arson at Casino Royale took place on August 25, 2011, when a group of armed men with multiple vehicles arrived at the venue. The man carried cans of gasoline and started spraying the casino’s floors, furniture and slot machines before igniting them. Once the fire started burning, it quickly engulfed the casino, resulting in the deaths of many of the visitors, with some dying after being treated for their wounds in hospital.

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Seeking to expand gambling in New York, the state confirmed plans for three downstate casinos earlier this year. The competition is fierce, given that only three licenses are planned but two of them are likely to be secured by existing racinos. This means that it is quite likely major gambling industry players to compete for the single license remaining.

Now, a recent report released by the New York Post reveals that Related Companies revised its plans for a new massive casino mega-complex at Hudson Yards in New York. The project has a price tag of $10 billion, according to Related’s CEO, Jeff Blau. It is expected to feature a luxury hotel with 1,700 rooms within a “resort” tower. This would complement the nearby Javits Center and is expected to help attract more visitors.

More importantly, the project is expected to offer casino gambling with the globally-recognized Wynn named as the operator. The proposed skyscraper project is expected to offer up to 250,000 square feet of gaming floor that will house craps, poker, roulette, as well as blackjack games. Additional amenities the project will include would be retail outlets, as well as fine dining options.

In addition, Related pitched a plan for a 2 million-square-foot office tower that would use a part of the 6.5-acre Hudson Yards located between 11th and 12th Aves. in New York. Still, according to Blau, the “centerpiece” of the billion-dollar project would be the Wynn-branded tower, offering supreme entertainment and hospitality options.

“It will be one of the most incredible tall buildings in New York City.“

Jeff Blau, CEO of Related Companies

The Company Faces Competition

Although Related undoubtedly has an ambitious plan for a downstate casino, competition is certainly not backing out. Only recently, Toom Reeg, Caesars Entertainment’s CEO, spoke about the company’s New York bid for a Times Square casino.

In an interview for News 12, Reeg discussed for the first time publicly the company’s plans for the Caesars Palace Times Square venue. He revealed that the project would include a 52-story skyscraper and will offer a gaming area of 250,000 square feet. Additionally, Caesars Palace Times Square would offer 950 hotel rooms.

But it’s not only Caesars that aims to secure a license in New York. Las Vegas Sands, another major industry player, said last week that it secured a 99-year lease approval from Nassau County. This marked an important step in the company’s plan for a $5 billion-dollar casino project near the Nassau Coliseum located in Uniondale.

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