Triumph for Star Entertainment in $43 million court dispute with Singapore gambler

Júlia Moura September 19, 2024

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Triumph for Star Entertainment in $43 million court dispute with Singapore gambler

Casino giant Star Entertainment has emerged victorious in a $43 million legal battle against Singaporean high-stakes gambler Yew Choy Wong. After years of complex legal wrangling, the Brisbane Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Australian casino, marking one of the largest gaming debt recovery cases globally.

The dispute began in 2018 when Wong participated in a baccarat tournament at The Star Gold Coast during a weeklong trip. Using a $40 million credit line extended by the casino, Wong left the country without settling the debt. Star Entertainment sought repayment by attempting to cash a blank check Wong had previously provided to The Star Sydney in 2017. When the $43 million check bounced due to insufficient funds, the legal battle intensified.

In a recent ruling, Judge Melanie Hindman ordered Wong to pay $38.6 million, plus interest and costs, following a three-day hearing. Wong’s defence hinged on claims that he had instructed his bank to cancel any checks to the casino and that Star’s operations director, Paul Arbuckle, had agreed that Wong wouldn’t be liable for losses caused by dealer errors. However, the court found no substantial evidence to support these allegations.

A Blow to Wong’s Defence
Wong attempted to halt the case in 2020, arguing that Star had little chance of winning. Despite his efforts, the casino pressed forward, even pursuing the matter in Singaporean courts, which rejected the case. The Brisbane Supreme Court’s decision finally grants Star Entertainment the opportunity to recover a significant portion of the debt.

This win provides a much-needed boost for Star Entertainment as it grapples with financial difficulties, compounded by technical outages affecting its video gaming operations in Sydney, Brisbane, and Gold Coast.

This is ?based on an article in The Courier Mail