SINGAPORE – A Singaporean casino high-roller who incurred a multimillion-dollar baccarat debt with The Star Gold Coast Casino has been ordered to repay the casino about A$38.7 million (S$33.6 million).
Dr Wong Yew Choy incurred an A$43 million debt at the casino in Queensland, Australia, between July 26 and Aug 2, 2018, but left Australia on the last day without settling it.
Star Entertainment Queensland, which operates the casino, attempted to recover the debt with a signed blank cheque he had previously given Star Sydney, a related establishment.
Dr Wong had exchanged the cheque for gambling chips in May 2017 as part of a cheque-cashing facility agreement. But the cheque was not used then because he settled his gambling losses on that occasion via a bank deposit.
The Supreme Court in Brisbane heard that when The Star Gold Coast Casino tried to cash the cheque in 2018, it bounced.
It emerged that Dr Wong had instructed his bank on Aug 3, 2018, not to honour any cheque purporting to draw on his account in favour of The Star Gold Coast Casino.
The casino made written demands on him for the amount of A$43,209,853.22 on Oct 16 and Dec 21, 2018, but Dr Wong argued that he was not required to pay the losses incurred due to alleged mistakes made by the baccarat dealers.
He said that he had complained to the casino about the matter and also spoken to the chief operating officer (COO) of The Star Gold Coast Casino on July 30, 2018.
Dr Wong said that during the conversation with the COO, he was allegedly told he would not have to pay any losses to date and that he could continue gambling.
The Star Gold Coast Casino said they did look into his complaints and issued a letter of apology, signed by the COO, on Aug 1, 2018. But there was no mention of wiping Dr Wong’s debt.
The casino operator had sued Dr Wong in the Singapore High Court in February 2019 to recover the losses but was unsuccessful, as the law prohibits the recovery of gaming debts, subject to certain exceptions.
The company then sued Dr Wong in Queensland, where he applied but failed to have the lawsuit dismissed or obtain a stay.
He then took his case to the Court of Appeal, which dismissed it with costs.
In her ruling, Justice Melanie Hindman found that the casino had made out its claim for recovery of the cheque-cashing facility money as loans.
Dr Wong is required to pay the casino A$38,659,853.22, plus interest and indemnity costs.