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Tasmanian casinos face ransomware onslaught

April 20, 2021 by Admin

Tasmania, an island state of Australia, famed for its beautiful flora and fauna with its mountain ranges and wide selection of national parks is facing a challenge that it seems ill-prepared for in the form of cyber-attacks.

The sole casino operator in the state, Federal Group, recently reported that it had been struck with ransomware attacks. The online barrage began on April 3rd and has affected pokies and hotel booking systems at the Country Club and Wrest Point casinos.

Ransomware you say?

Ransomware is a form of malware, software deliberately created to cause damage. Ransomware blocks access to a user’s data and often threatens to expose it if a ransom is not paid. In recent times, this practice most often involves cryptocurrency.

Ransomware attacks launched by amateurs are reasonably simple to repel, however, more intensified attempts can be impossible to thwart. As the attackers often demand payment in Bitcoin or Paysafecard, they can be very difficult to trace and prosecute.

The number of attacks has gradually increased over the last decade. A worrying 181.5 million reported ransomware attacks were reported in the first six months of 2018, an increase of 229% from the previous year.

CryptoLocker and CryptoWall count as two of the most successful attacks of this nature. The former snagged $3 million and the latter took $18 million before authorities could shut them down.

The Federal Group in the crosshairs

Dr Daniel Hanna, the executive director of Federal Group, stated that the attack occurred on April 3rd, but it has since been contained. He was, unfortunately, not able to confirm when hotel check-in services and pokies would be available again. The affected locations include the Henry Jones Art Hotel, MACq 01, Saffire Freycinet, Wrest Point, and the Country Club casino.

In an interview, Dr Hannah said, “The Australian Cyber Security Centre was notified and is coordinating relevant law enforcement agencies and continued forensic analysis.  Federal Group has at all times complied with legal and regulatory requirements related to the incident.”

The rest of the iceberg

Former IT experts from Federal Group have made public their concerns that both credit card data and electronic gaming systems may have been compromised. Dr Hanna declined to elaborate on the allegation, saying that such sources “cannot be relied on to provide accurate information.”

The longer its pokies are inoperable, the more negative the effect on Federal Group’s bottom line will be. Over the past eight months, its gaming venues have accrued $53.7 million from punters, which translates to $6.7 million per month.

The Federal Group is bound by the Privacy Act, so it is compelled to inform both affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner of any incidents of this sort. This is particularly applicable when a data breach is “likely to result in serious harm to an individual whose personal information is involved.” At this time, there has been no announcement regarding whether the necessary parties have been contacted, with Federal Group maintaining a stony silence.

Cyber expert weighs in

Terry Aulich, who was once a Tasmanian politician and now serves as a security consultant, was not surprised that such an attack occurred. Aulich stated that any gambling operation would be “high on the list” of serious hackers.

“Young kids are not going to have a go at you if you’re a casino, but it’s groups of major crooks that are going to be your enemy,” he said.

Aulich revealed that he had previously alerted three Tasmanian organizations to the possibility of cyber-attacks. To their detriment, none of them responded with any particular level of concern. Aulich feels that this is down to the mindset that external issues would never befall “dear little old Tassie.”

“That’s entirely untrue. They will look for the weakest link in Australian society, in Australian business, and it may well be that Tasmania is one of those.” He concluded.

Filed Under: Casino News

Play’n GO gets furiously amphibious with new Fire Toad slot

April 16, 2021 by Admin

Play’n GO’s most recent release, that 5×4 reel Fire Toad slot is a fantasy-infused slot, that is set in sunny Hawaii and features the mythical Fire Toad, a rarely seen cryptid that gains power as it grows, giving you bigger wins.

Players who seek out slots with powerful symbols will love this title that utilises vibrant, imaginative visuals to draw in slot players with a preference for more creative fare.

The developer’s creativity remains undisputed, with many of its more unique games maintaining popularity across global markets. Games such as Gold Volcano and Wildhound Derby adopt innovative formats while another title, Reactoonz demonstrates the company’s enthusiasm for unique gaming experiences, an essential contributor to its success in the industry.

Fire Toad is a creative tour-de-force in its own right, with its distinguishing visual style and unique design. The gameplay matches the visual presentation in impact, with features such as the symbol upgrade that transforms symbols on the reels into more powerful versions. Automatic upgrades take place while the free spins round is active.

The slot’s impressive potential and paylines that exceed a thousand in number top off a title that appears to be the complete entertainment package.

Johan Törnqvist, the CEO of Play’n GO, places a lot of faith in the power of creativity to thrive in a highly competitive market. He commented on the latest release, saying,

“Creativity is a lifeblood of entertainment. Developing new ideas and introducing new concepts to players keeps them engaged and interested in what you’re going to do next. Allowing people to be creative also creates a more positive and productive atmosphere, and that leads to great results!”

Fire Toad is live and available to play right now.​

Filed Under: Casino Pokies News

Aussie sports betting ads could face the chop

April 13, 2021 by Admin

Out of all the methods of gambling available, Sports wagering is by far the fastest-growing in Australia, doubling in size over the last five years. The pastime has unfortunately been unkind to Aussie enthusiasts as the annual losses have increased to over $1 billion.

The Alliance for Gambling Reform has decided to step in to mitigate the losses with a campaign to ban sports betting advertising.

For good reason

The rapid increase in revenue that many bookmakers have experienced during COVID-19 prompted the creation of the campaign.

The parent company of Sportsbet, Flutter Entertainment, reported $30 billion in earnings since the beginning of the pandemic and in Australia, the company gained a 59% profit increase.

Entain, the parent company of Ladbrokes, raked in $8 billion throughout the pandemic and Sportsbet managed to add 675,000 new customers from Australia.

Tabcorp’s overall decline in retail bookmaking was offset by a 43% growth in its online betting services, and the company’s value increased by $3.8 billion during 2020.

The Northern Territory is a haven for foreign bookmakers due to the limit on wagering taxes of $575,000 annually. Flutter Entertainment’s gains over the last year have exceeded the total GDP of the Northern Territory.

Ads on the chopping block?

The Alliance for Gambling Reform has accused the Australian government of being remiss in its duty to protect its citizens from the dangers of gambling.

Tim Costello, the spokesman for the organization said, “Constant gambling advertising promoting all sorts of ‘bonus bets’ undoubtedly triggered some people to gamble again, or gamble more, some with savings made during lockdowns, or even worse – with superannuation withdrawals.”

“We would be shocked to see a tobacco ad during football and cricket these days because we know children watch these games and naturally want to emulate their heroes and support their sponsors. We must nip this in the bud right now, and the quickest and easiest way to do so is to end gambling advertising.”

On the other hand

Mr Costello’s views are not, however, universally held, Brent Jackson, the CEO of bookmaker lobby group Responsible Wagering Australia (RWA) feels that a ban on advertising would achieve little aside from harming the industry.

RWA was founded in 2016 and counts brands like Unibet, Betfair, and bet365 among its ranks. The organisation’s website states that it is “committed to ensuring that Australia has the best conducted, socially responsible wagering industry in the world.”

According to Jackson, “While sports betting is growing in popularity, problem gambling rates continue to fall, and wagering advertising complaints are at all-time lows, comprising only 0.31 per cent of all advertising complaints.”

He further stated that while Costello is entitled to his moral opposition of gambling, the industry at large is acting in good faith, Jackson wrapped up by saying, “This is just another self-serving attempt to mislead and to demonise responsible Australian punters.”

An uncertain outcome

Regardless of both sides of this argument having valid points, the power to decide ultimately lies with the Australian Communications and Media Authority that is responsible for the country’s airwaves while investigating complaints and problems. The decision-maker role specifically belongs to Paul Fletcher, the Federal Communications Minister.

Fletcher, for his part, appears to be cagey about flexing his authority for now and has rather opted to continue monitoring the efficacy of the government’s 2018 live sporting events reform in a changing environment.

Without a decision coming any time soon, those arguing for and against sports betting ads will have to wait and see.​

Filed Under: Australian Gambling

Microgaming offers you a pick of the best with its April releases

April 9, 2021 by Admin

Each month brings an increasingly varied selection of slot titles from Microgaming’s aggregated platform, thanks to the company’s multiple partnerships with premium iGaming studios. This April brings even more variety with Vampire nests, Egyptian royal courts Asian intricacies among others for you to explore.

Buck Stakes Entertainment is ready to prove that while it may be new, it’s got veteran talent with the release of 8 Golden Skulls of Holly Roger Megaways on 22 April. The Firepot jackpot scatter feature is your key to the slots’ maximum payout of 1900x your stake the Rolling Reels feature Mystery symbols. Boost your bankroll with the free spins and multiplier bonus wheel while the Megaways mechanic randomises your paylines, generating anything from 64 to 117,649 ways to win per spin.

The opulence of Cleopatra’s court is your next destination on 13 April in Queen of Alexandria WowPot by Neon Valley Studios. The four-tiered WowPot progressive jackpot has a top prize that builds up from a minimum of $2 million and is currently sitting close to $15 million and just waiting for you to claim it You will win one of four guaranteed jackpot prizes when the WowPot Bonus Wheel is triggered and an expanding wilds respin feature offers even more ways to win. You can enjoy this title, minus the WowPot, as a standalone title with fixed-limit jackpots.

Gold Collector by All41 Studios arrives on 6 April and places you in a cartoon-inspired underground environment as you mine for gold. Use the shovels, pickaxes and TNT to extract the precious metal. The HyperHold feature is the path to one of 5 jackpot prizes and when a gold coin lands on a reel while the feature is active, it stays locked in place and resets your respin count to three. Fill as many positions as possible with gold coins to win great prizes.

Classic slot action explodes on 27 April with SpinPlay Games’ 9 Blazing Diamonds that features flaming, cascading gemstones. The appearance of three or more of these fiery diamonds on the reels awards you amazing prizes and the Blazing Wheel boasts instant cash prizes and free spins with a multiplier up to 4x.

More Egyptian adventure is here on 29 April with Egyptian Tombs by Snowborn Games. Delve through the tombs of the ancients and discover their treasures where you scour ancient tombs for their treasures and meet iconic characters like Cleopatra and the Egyptian sun god Ra. The Tomb bonus feature is triggered by three Scarab symbols that have you spin the Wheel of Fortune to receive 8-50 free spins. The feature can be retriggered with 3 more scarabs that will also turn all Ra symbols wild.

Lay your life down for the kingdom on 20 April in Book of King Arthur by Just For The Win. Join King Arthur and reveal the treasures of Avalon with expanding wilds, boosters and the Round Table feature and its jackpot prizes.

The night calls to you in the vampire-themed Anna Van Helsing Monster Huntress by Rabcat on 15 April. The features have delightfully dark names like Wolf Howl, Wolf Attack and Dracula’s Banishment.

Discover a new experience on 26 April in Fu88 by Neko Games. Encounter the Chinese character Fu (福) which means “blessing” or “good luck” and match three “Fu Babies” to take your shot at jackpot prizes.

Get your poker face ready for Microgaming’s Hold’Em Poker 2 on 12 April. This multiplier title is fully optimised for mobile and features a random prize-pool generator linked to a progressive jackpot.

To fight among flames is to truly live in Gong Gaming Technologies’ Inferno Gladiator on 12 April. Brave a flame-engulfed arena with free spins, sticky wilds and multipliers.

There are more premium titles from Microgaming’s third-party partner network waiting for you to spin. Inspired presents winnings galore in Slots O’Luck, on 6 April with a Gamble feature where you can boost your winnings or gain extra free spins. We hope your archery is on point for the 7 April release of Robbin’ Robin by Dog Studio.

On 6 April 1×2 Gaming 2 titles for release, Triple Bar 98 and Triple Bar 96. Be ruthless and win in the TV-to-Slot adaptation of Survivor by Big Time Gaming and experience an enhanced Megaways mechanic.

Witness flaming rebirth in Phoenix Inferno by 1×2 Gaming on 21 April and don’t let the big one get away in Fishing Cashpots by Inspired on 26 April. The month concludes in style with Big Time Gaming’s Wild Flower on 28 April, a slot adventure that sees you questing to smash a frosty magical barrier to free the warmth of spring.​

Filed Under: Casino Pokies News

Unlicensed domains face Australian iGaming regulator’s wrath

April 3, 2021 by Admin

Australia’s media and communications watchdog is reportedly embroiled in a difficult battle against iGaming sites that are plying their offerings to local punters while unlicensed.

The Guardian newspaper reported that the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is empowered by the provisions of the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001 to force domestic Internet service providers to block access to unlicensed online gambling domains. The regulator has recently placed 18 sites on its ‘blacklist’ of proscribed services, bringing the total number to 222.

Ten troubles

The newspaper report further stated that the ACMA has yet to tackle ten iGaming domains that are reportedly offering their services to Australian punters without an appropriate license despite the regulator being aware of their existence for some time now. The publication’s  source revealed that these domains comprise Fair Go Casino, Two Up Casino, Red Dog Casino, True Blue Casino, Cherry Gold Casino, XPokies, BoVegas and PlayCroco, which calls itself an ‘online casino for Australian pokie lovers.’

When crime pays

The Guardian report continued, stating that the Asia-Pacific iGaming market has an estimated value of $70 billion and that Australian punters flocked to these services in their droves due to the numerous stay-at-home orders that were enforced in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The ACMA advised that it is ‘proceeding with the enforcement and disruption options’ it has at its disposal, including ‘website blocking’. The body revealed that it encounters many obstacles to its investigations as some of the offending sites’ use software from Internet infrastructure specialist, Cloudflare, to conceal their registrations.

Heavy penalties

An ACMA spokesperson reportedly advised the newspaper that screening technology of this type flies in the face of the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001 and that over 86% of illicit providers abandoned their Australian market aspiration after being contacted by the regulator or receiving a ‘formal warning.’ Unlicensed domains can face fines of up to $1.1 million for every day that they operate in the country without a valid license.

Eagle eye

The ACMA further stated that its website blocking initiative began in n November of 2019 and the action is now considered to be ‘effective in disrupting gambling services being provided into the Australian market.’

The spokesperson characterised the world of online gambling as ‘a challenging and complex environment to regulate,’ stating that the AMCA engages with licensed providers and stakeholders ‘to raise awareness of Australia’s online gambling laws.’

The spokesperson wrapped up by saying,

“Some of the illegal gambling services whose sites have been blocked have either withdrawn of their own accord or have not taken any action to circumvent the blocks. Others have sought to circumvent the blocks by launching mirror sites. We monitor and block mirror sites, sometimes repetitively.”

​

Filed Under: Uncategorized

James Packer’s Sydney casino plans could be saved by Crown split

March 31, 2021 by Admin

Billionaire James Packer suddenly has a whole new set of possibilities to consider following a bid for his beleaguered Crown Resorts by the biggest private equity firm in the world, Blackstone.

Blackstone’s cash bid comes in at $11.85 a share and values the company at $8 billion. This has been widely regarded as an opportunistic move as it trades on the achievable value assuming Crown is broken up.

Blackstone’s potential plan to split and auction off Crown’s assets, which include its casinos in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, exposes that beyond the $5 billion value that the hotel and resort assets represent, the operation’s gaming licences also represent significant value. A casino’s gaming licences and property assets are traditionally linked but selling them separately is permitted.

Crown’s balance sheet values the licences at $1 billion, however, this value was established pre-pandemic and before the condemning findings of the NSW Bergin inquiry. The inquiry’s report states that Crown’s Melbourne and Perth casinos ​ had been permeated by organised crime groups who launder money; this information was confirmed by an investigative report from The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald journalist Nick McKenzie.

The Bergin inquiry deemed Crown unfit to operate its Sydney licence, and the company was forced to halt the planned reopening of its casino floors. There are currently Royal Commissions reviewing Crown’s licences in Victoria and Western Australia.

Considering these developments, it is understandable that the value of Crown’s licences may be called into question and puts Blackstone’s seemingly miserly bid in firm perspective.

Crown’s licences aren’t worth what they used to be due to a recommendation in the Bergin Report to ban junket operators, some of which have been linked to organised crime. Crown Sydney’s particular business model relied heavily on revenues from international tourism, and specifically junket operators who bring in high-roller clients.

Under Crown’s Sydney licence, the venue may not operate any poker machines, in contrast to its competitor, Star Entertainment, which holds the other Sydney casino licence. Speculation that the smaller Star could put in a bid for Crown is rife.

While this is a possibility, it is widely regarded as an unlikely outcome as it would make more sense for Star to pursue Crown’s Sydney assets.

Star stands to gain the most out of a potential Crown Sydney break-up as it is a known quantity to NSW’s gaming regulator and more critically, holds a licence to operate poker machines in the city. This means that poker machines could make their way to Crown Sydney, off-setting lost revenue from the junket operator ban.​

Filed Under: Australian Casinos

Hop into spring and leap into winnings with RTG’s Spring Wilds

March 27, 2021 by Admin

The time of the year is approaching again when our world is filled with images of fluffy Easter bunnies delivering brightly-decorated eggs to children of all ages. Realtime Gaming (RTG) has gotten in on the gifting spirit and invites you to crack the shell of its newest title “Spring Winds” and discover the golden goodness within.

The 5×3, 25 payline video pokie invites you to frolic alongside a gleeful group of bunny companions, as they scour the forest for amazing rewards worth up to 15,000x your bet.

The symbols include a bounding bunny, a pastel piglet and a cute yellow chick with a sweet selection of accompanying bonus features. The scatter is a basket of golden eggs and landing 3 of these triggers free spins. The wild is represented by an Easter egg that substitutes for all symbols except the scatter and bonus symbols.

Down the Rabbit Hole

You don’t have to dig down too far to reveal Spring Wilds’ cluster of premium bonus features. Landing 3, 4, or 5 scatters will award you 10, 15, or 20 free spins, respectively. The bonus symbol has its own part to play, triggering the Spring Wilds Bonus round where you randomly get a lucky streak respin.

Spring Wilds

When a Spring Wild Bonus symbol appears the special bonus round will activate and all symbols except the Spring Wild Bonus symbol will disappear from the screen and the remaining symbols will become sticky. These remain in place while the reels respin and additional Spring Wild Bonus symbols could appear in the blank positions. The round ends when no new Spring Wild Bonus symbols appear and you will be paid out the combined value of the symbols on the reels.

Count Your Eggs

This title is a departure of sorts for RTG as it is markedly different from any of its previous pokie titles. While the game adopts a standard format, the selection of features delivers a uniquely exciting gameplay experience.

However you play, you can enjoy some bunny wholesomeness via download, instant play or on your mobile browser. For an extra special introduction to this new title head over to Fair Go Casino and claim a 150% match bonus and 50 free spins on Spring Wilds. The minimum deposit is $20 and you can Redeem 3 times a day!​

Filed Under: Casino Pokies News

Fox Corporation eyes Australia’s sportsbetting goldmine

March 24, 2021 by Admin

US media monolith Fox Corporation is reportedly weighing its options around entering the Australian sportsbetting market via the purchase of a piece of Tabcorp Holdings Limited, a local land-based sportsbook operator.

The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported that the LA-based Corporation has been speaking with unnamed investment funds to see whether an acquisition of part of the media and bookmaking divisions of Tabcorp Holdings Limited is feasible. The broadcaster has also said to have recently filed for a local trademark for the FoxBet online sports wagering enterprise that it created with The Stars Group Incorporated in 2019.

Deciding on partners

The newspaper further reported that The Stars Group Incorporated purportedly paid around $171.58 million for an 80% stake in Australian sportsbetting firm BetEasy Proprietary Limited in early 2020.

The report stated that Fox Corporation may seek to achieve a similar acquisition by potentially allying with local bookmaking pioneer, Matthew Tripp.

Competing contenders:

Fox Corporation is the product of the 2019 acquisition of Twenty-First Century Fox Incorporated by The Walt Disney Company and is headed by Lachlan Murdoch, the eldest son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

The company could potentially expect fierce competition for the hypothetical acquisition as Tabcorp Holdings Limited is seemingly considering bids from the British sportsbetting company Entain and the American private equity firm, Apollo Global Management Incorporated.

The offers come at a time when Tabcorp is fielding rising investor pressure to exit the Australian sports wagering market and focus exclusively on its flourishing lotteries division.

Tabcorp the abundant

Bloomberg recently reported that the 2017Tabcorp Holdings Limited merger with Tatts Group Limited helped it reach its current local market share of approximately 57%. The company’s combined estate of over 4,400 land-based sportsbooks can be found across the country. Tabcorp’s media and bookmaking division is the company’s second most profitable division, generating 40% of its total revenues for the year to the end of June at close to $3.98 billion.

Fading interest

The Sydney Morning Herald report relayed that Tripp, a former head boss of Australian online sportsbetting pioneers, Sportsbet and also BetEasy Proprietary Limited, has reportedly made numerous bids for portions of Tabcorp Holdings Limited in the past. His interest in the company, however, appears to be waning as Tripp’s personal investment of close to $19 million in BetMakers Technology Group Limited, a local online wagering and content services provider appears to signal his interests shifting direction.

Vital connections

The publication further reported that non-industry firms looking to bid for the media and bookmaking segments of Tabcorp Holdings Limited would need to consider partnering up with an established operator to avoid regulatory quagmires. It was speculated that Fox Corporation should likely appeal to the Chairman of Racing News South Wales, Peter V’Landys, to leverage his relationship with Rupert Murdoch as he has the influence to veto acquisitions.​

Filed Under: Australian Gambling, Casino News

Crown Resorts keeps crashing and burning

March 19, 2021 by Admin

The last year has been a devastating one for Crown Resorts and it seems the spectre of misfortune is not done with the multinational operation yet. The latest round of bad news to hit Crown relates directly to its political and business associates.

From the top

It is important to understand exactly where the cascade of Crown’s troubles began to fully comprehend the state that it finds itself in now. In 2020, damaging reports began surfacing in the media that alleged unethical and outright criminal behaviour by Crown. A full spectrum of transgressions was unveiled, including bribery and money laundering.

The advent of these revelations could not have been more poorly timed as far as Crown was concerned. The company was at the time readying itself to open a new property in Sydney. This process was unceremoniously halted as a string of politicians called for investigations into the operation.

New South Wales took the lead and hosted a series of hearings where regulators were tasked with deciding whether Crown was suitable to possess a gambling license within the state. The Bergin Report concluded that this was not the case and the license was denied.

The December opening of the new Crown casino has been indefinitely postponed following this action, resulting in a flurry of internal turmoil. The company’s CEO, five board members, as well as the company’s secretary and general counsel all resigned. The individuals that stepped in to replace them are now working with state regulators to resolve compliance issues.

Fresh scrutiny

More trouble soon followed for the embattled operator and Crown now has to deal with new investigations initiated by regulators in Western Australia and Victoria. The least favourable outcome for the company would be having its license revoked in both states which would effectively put it out of business.

An end to political donations

Crown is, at this moment, barred from making any political contributions. This ends almost a decade of Crown being one of the most generous donors to Australian political parties and candidates.

In a recent statement, Crown validated the news, announcing the same via the Australian Securities Exchange. Andrew Wilkie, an anti-gambling advocate, and independent MP was thrilled at this development.

“Frankly, no political party should accept donations from any gambling company, and the pressure is now on the parties to follow Crown’s lead and promise to end their reliance on the industry, ” Wilkie said.

Murky ethics

Several law firms are pitching up to aid Victoria’s royal commission in its investigation into Crown Resorts, with a sizeable pay package attached to their services, but a conflict of interest may have arisen.

One of the law firms putting themselves forward for the task is Corrs Chambers Westgarth. The firm was previously employed by Crown to advise on some aspects of their intent to build a casino in NSW.

The Blackstone Group is one of Corrs’ major clients and also owns 10% of Crown Resorts, which means that it is the company’s second-largest shareholder.

Charles Livingstone, a gambling regulation expert, advised that it would be a “terrible look” if the Victorian government chose Corrs to assist them. He further stated that Blackstone is in the ideal position to acquire more Crown stock if the owner, James Packer, decides to sell.

On the other hand, Peter Cohen, a former director of the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation, believes that it is near impossible to hire a law firm with the capacity to conduct a royal commission without any potential conflict with its clientele arising.​

Filed Under: Casino News

SkyCity Adelaide faces legal onslaught

March 17, 2021 by Admin

Wealthy Chinese businessman, Linong Ma has levelled a lawsuit against two junket operators and SkyCity Adelaide. The legal action follows allegations that the junketers, Xiongming Xie and his associate, Zhuangqian Fang, defrauded Ma to the amount of A$4.84 million and that Xie has close ties to organized crime.

For SkyCity Adelaide’s part, the operation is accused of breach of trust and negligence.

Junket gambling in a nutshell

Junkets were invented in the 1950s and provide casinos with high profile clients that they effectively scout in exchange for a monthly commission, provided the clients produce an expected level of profit for the house. Once these punters return to where they came from, the junket and the casino will settle any outstanding balances.

Chinese Junket clients pay money to junkets via bank transfer before they embark on their trips and these amounts are converted into “rolling chips,” non-negotiable tender accepted at VIP rooms of specific casinos.

This practice subverts the Chinese government’s disdain at large sums of money being taken out of the country and allows high rollers to sail past any potential bureaucratic obstacles.

The set-up

The events leading up to the filing of the lawsuit paint a sordid tale of deception.

Ma arrived at SkyCity Adelaide on May 21st, 2019 as part of a junket put together by Zhuangqian Fang. Ma later began to strongly suspect that Xie was actually behind the operation and using Fang’s junket license to obscure his role.

Ma was accompanied by a Ms. Goh on his junket, an individual identified by the lawsuit as being “employed or engaged by Mr. Xie as an escort or hostess for high-rollers.” A Ms. Zhang, also apparently employed by Xie, was also present, playing Baccarat

Ma withdrew $400,000 in chips with his sights set on baccarat and unfortunately promptly lost $370,000.

The next day saw Ma emerge with renewed energy, evident in his withdrawal of a further $600,000. The night’s rest seemed to have changed his fortunes and he found himself on a red-hot winning streak. He eventually walked away having accumulated $5,048,500 over and above his stake.

Unfortunately for Ma, this is when his luck ran out.

The con

Ma made the practical decision to cash out his chips, but his assigned companion, Ms. Goh, advised him that this could only be done the following Monday. A heated exchange with his escorts ensued, with the lawsuit describing the escorts as “behaving in a furtive and suspicious manner.”

Ma had to travel to Hong Kong for his son’s graduation and had the chips secured in a SkyCity safety deposit box that came with the promise that he had exclusive access to its contents.

Ma’s plans to return in June and collect his chips were dashed when it became evident that the bulk of his winnings had been transferred by SkyCity on May 29th.

The lawsuit alleges that the beneficiary of the transaction was Xiongming Xie and that no effort has been made to return Mr. Ma’s winnings to him.

Unmasking Xiongming Xie

Xie’s shadowy presence in this incident has dragged this reclusive individual into the light and several details have emerged.

The lawsuit claims that Xie has “substantial gambling debts” and that he is a known associate of junket operator Tom “Mr. Chinatown” Zhou, a criminal wanted by INTERPOL. The lawsuit further alleges that Xie is a “dangerous and violent criminal” who has been barred from all Australian casinos.

A 2016, assassination attempt at his Sydney home left Xie with multiple stab wounds that he managed to survive.

Three years later in 2019, he found himself being accused of being at the other end of the blade when he faced criminal charges in Australia after allegedly menacing a man with a knife while demanding a $10 million property transfer.

The lawsuit also claims that he has “links with Asian Triad criminal gangs.”

​

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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