The Star Entertainment Group Limited loses high-roller debt collection case
Australian casino operator, The Star Entertainment Group Limited, has reportedly failed in an attempt to collect just over $29.5 million from a Singaporean businessman who had run up the debt while gambling at its The Star Gold Coast venue.
According to a story from Inside Asian Gaming citing a report from The Straits Times newspaper, the lawsuit from the Sydney-listed firm had represented the largest casino debt case ever filed with a Singapore court but that it was thrown out last week due to the lack of provisions in the local legal code relating to the collection of such arrears.
Baccarat blunders:
Inside Asian Gaming reported that the lawsuit alleged that gambler Wong Yew Choy had lost the cash last year while playing at VIP tables inside The Star Gold Coast. But, the 55-year-old high-roller purportedly countered by claiming that he had been told by a senior casino executive that mistakes made by a baccarat dealer meant that he was not liable for any debts up to July 29, 2018.
Wong reportedly also alleged that the same executive had told him that he would not be held accountable for future losses if similar mistakes were to occur again and that he had immediately stopped playing after just such an incident came to pass on August 1.
Lucrative loan:
The nature of a loan The Star Gold Coast had made Wong was moreover at issue after the gambler alleged that the Queensland venue had granted him a check cashing facility worth approximately $27.3 million. He claimed that he had not asked for this credit while its limit had later been surreptitiously increased by a further $6.8 million.
Wong furthermore proclaimed that he had given The Star a blank check upon arrival and that its staff had later filled it out in an attempt to collect the debt. However, the VIP revealed that this endeavor later failed as he had cancelled the document after arriving back in Singapore.
Imminent appeal:
In throwing out the case, it was reported that the Singapore International Commercial Court ordered The Star Entertainment Group Limited to pay Wong’s legal costs of about $13,670 although the operator explained that it intends to appeal the decision.