Singapore gambler ordered to pay US$25m debt to The Star

The Supreme Court in Brisbane also ordered Yew Choy Wong to cover The Star’s legal costs.

Australia.- The Supreme Court in Brisbane has ordered Yew Choy Wong, a Singaporean high roller, to pay AU$38m (US$25m) to Star Entertainment Queensland after racking up a gambling debt in September 2018. Justice Melanie Hindman also ordered Wong to cover legal costs and interest.

Wong lost AU$47.3m over five days while gambling at the Star Gold Coast casino but left Australia without settling his account, which was not out of the ordinary. The casino attempted to cash a cheque previously provided by Wong during an earlier visit to The Star Sydney, but Wong cancelled the cheque.

In October 2018, the casino issued a formal demand for AU$43.2m, which Wong refused to pay. He argued that a verbal agreement had been made with the casino’s chief operating officer, Paul Arbuckle, to waive his debt after he raised concerns about the way his baccarat cards were dealt. Arbuckle denied the existence of any such agreement. Justice Hindman ruled that there was no evidence supporting Wong’s claim.