Star Casino GC in the city of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, is suing wealthy gambler Dr. Wong Yew Choy over a $30 million debt.
The casino says Wong took out an AU$43 million (US$30 million) line of credit to gamble at the casino in 2018, which he then lost playing high limit card games over several days.
Star Casinos say that Wong gave them a blank check to settle his debts before leaving. But it later bounced.
Interestingly, Wong doesn’t dispute that the check didn’t clear and he hasn’t paid up. But he does say he wasn’t happy with the service provided by dealers and staff at the casino, and that he did not authorize them to collect the check at the time of his departure.
Star Casino had previously tried to recover the funds via Singaporean courts, but local laws stymied the attempt. The casino is now chasing Wong through the Australian legal system.
The Gambling
Wong made his money through Celton Manx, an online sports betting firm based out of the gambling-friendly Isle of Man in the Irish Sea off the coast of Britain.
For years, he has been a known frequenter of high limit casino gaming rooms from Singapore to Monaco to Sydney.
In July 2018, Wong arrived at the Star Gold Coast to play in a high limit baccarat tournament. He flew in on a private jet chartered by the casino. Upon arrival, the Star Casino says Wong took up the offer of an AU$40 million line of gambling credit. He then lost it all at the tables.
Before leaving, the casino says Wong authorized them to use a blank check that he had left at Star Casino Sydney a year earlier to pay his debt.
But a week later, the check bounced. Wong says he did not authorize the casino to use the blank check, and that he told his private banker to get it canceled when he found out the casino was going to cash it in.
Both parties noted Wong had previously claimed and fully paid off a similar AU$20 million line of credit with the casino group.
The Chase Up
Wong says he refused to pay up because he was unsatisfied with the conduct of the casino’s baccarat dealers. He says they made mistakes during play, to the point he almost left the table several times. But he was encouraged to remain playing by VIP hosts.
He says he told staff if he played any more, he wouldn’t pay back the extra losses. According to him, they accepted this offer.
Star Casino’s first attempt to recoup the money in 2022 failed in the Singapore courts. The country’s strict laws are not favorable to foreign gambling operators in most cases. The casino then went to the Australian Court system in 2022. Wong initially filed to have the case dismissed, based upon the Singapore ruling.
But this week, the Queensland Court of Appeal rejected that motion to dismiss. Wong will now be asked to appear in Australian court to face the allegations and defend his case.
“Dr Wong should not have considered that his dispute with Star was at an end once the Singapore proceeding was dismissed,” the court ruled.
“The judge was correct to hold that this proceeding was not an abuse of process and to dismiss Dr Wong’s application.”
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
