Singaporean man ordered to repay tens of millions in debt to Australian casino

A Singaporean man has been ordered to repay more than 38 million Australian dollars ($25.7 million) after he lost big during a gambling spree at an Australian casino over the span of a few days.

Queensland’s Supreme Court ruled Monday that Yew Choy Wong owed that amount to the Star Gold Coast, as well as the casino’s legal fees and interest. He had racked up losses of 47.3 million Australian dollars ($31.5 million) there between July 26 and August 2, 2018.

Wong fled the country without settling his bill, according to court documents. The casino tried to recoup its losses using a blank check Wong had given its sister property, the Star Sydney, a year prior, but that check bounced after Wong told his bank not to pay out any checks from the Star, the ruling said.

The casino then tried to recover the debt in 2019 by suing Wong in Singapore, but that case was dismissed a year later because Singaporean law largely prohibits the recovery of gambling debts.

According to court documents from that case, Wong frequently played the card game baccarat at the Star’s casinos, during which he and his “entourage of some 28 people” were flown to Queensland by the casino and housed in its private salons.

In the more recent case, Wong argued he did not owe the Star any money because he had complained about the way the casino’s dealers had dealt cards to him, after which he stopped gambling.

Wong said he resumed gambling after the Star’s chief operating officer, Paul Arbuckle, verbally agreed that Wong would not have to pay for losses he had already incurred and that the casino would waive any further losses, if the dealers repeated their alleged mistakes.

Arbuckle denied making this agreement, according to the ruling.

Star Entertainment, which owns the Gold Coast casino, declined to comment on the case.

In a letter presented to the court, which was addressed to Wong and signed by Arbuckle, the COO apologized for “difficulties” Wong experienced during his visit, but noted the mistakes would have had no direct financial impact on Wong. The letter did not mention waiving Wong’s debt.

The casino also paid Wong hundreds of thousands of dollars in goodwill payments following his complaints, the ruling said.

Justice Melanie Hindman said: “The alleged agreement pleaded by Dr Wong is not evidenced by the letter of apology or otherwise supported by any other evidence adduced in the trial.”