• Subscribe
  • Magazines
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
Wednesday 25 June 2025
  • zh-hant 中文
  • ja 日本語
  • en English
IAG
Advertisement
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • UAE
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • 中文
No Result
View All Result
IAG
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • UAE
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • 中文
No Result
View All Result
IAG
No Result
View All Result

Owner of Suncity telemarketing firm denies promotion of online betting services

Pierce Chan by Pierce Chan
Tue 27 Sep 2022 at 05:16
Alvin Chau says “betting under the table” rife in Macau but denies Suncity involvement
22
SHARES
546
VIEWS
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

The owner of a company used by Suncity Group to send promotional text messages to clients told a Macau court on Monday that he did not know his firm had sent messages promoting online gaming and had stopped the practice as soon as he became aware.

Chau Chun Hee, who is charged with defrauding the government and concessionaires via betting under the table as well as illegal gaming has been accused of using his telemarketing firm Sonnet to promote telephone betting services offered by Suncity via SMS.

Described as an IT company, Sonnet, among other things, acted as a “middleman” to assist Suncity in sending out information about its VIP rooms.

Some of those messages also promoted Universal e-City – said to be Suncity’s online gaming portal – although Chau said Monday that he did not know this was the case and that such messages comprised only a fraction of Sonnet’s business with Suncity.

Instead, he noted that Sonnet’s revenues were directly linked to Suncity’s junket activities.

Chau revealed that between April 2018 and March 2020, Sonnet generated average monthly revenue of MOP$3 million to MOP$4 million (US$370,000 to US$495,000), mainly due to assisting Sun City in sending out messages. At its peak in 2019, monthly revenue reached over MOP$7 million (US$865,000). However, between April and October 2020, due to the poor economic environment during the pandemic, income dropped to MOP$400,000 (US$50,000) per month.

“The actual figures show that the revenue of the company is related to the VIP business of Suncity,” he said. “In 2020, there was a big drop in visitor arrivals and the VIP business also dropped, as did the revenue of the company.”

Chau explained that during the five-day period from 1 to 5 August 2019, Sonnet sent 463,000 messages for Suncity, but less than 1% of those messages were related to Universal e-City.

“In terms of figures, there was no impact at all on revenue as a result of phone betting messages sent. The drop in revenue was due to the economic environment,” he said.

As to why Sonnet was sending out messages about Universal e-City, Chau said he was not aware of the actual situation.

“At that time, a colleague in the finance department of [Sonnet’s parent firm] UO Group reported that this project had been running for two months but without my signature, so he asked me about it. I found out at that time that it was a message about Universal e-City, and I didn’t know why there was such an incident, so I immediately stopped it. I stopped sending these messages immediately and did not send them again.”

Asked if the 18th defendant in the case, Sonnet CEO Li Siu Chung, sent the messages for Universal e-City on his own, Chau responded, “I don’t agree with that… but Universal e-City was indeed sent through Sonnet and I did not clear whether anyone sent messages through the system itself.”

Chau also confirmed that he held a stake in a company used by Suncity for “betting under the table” practices but said he did not know that simply being a shareholder could be illegal.

The seventh defendant in the case against Suncity Group Chairman Alvin Chau and 20 other defendants, Lou Seak Fong, was charged with defrauding the government and concessionaires via betting under the table as well as illegal gaming. He was also found by the police to have a 2% shareholding in the company assisting with betting under the table.

Lou, Vice President of Marketing for the Suncity Group, told the court on Monday that his 2% stake was held on behalf of a friend, and that he received a share of the proceeds on behalf of this friend without any direct involvement on his part.

The court also found that a number of his subordinates had sent messages about betting under the table to Lou on chat apps. He explained that he “receives hundreds of messages every day, but I doesn’t usually read them, as his colleagues call me if they need me.”

He also said he “strongly disagrees with the allegations of betting under the table … the marketing department had absolutely no involvement in betting under the table.”

RelatedPosts

Macau sports betting concessionaire Macau SLOT sees profit grow 32% to US$15.7 million in 2021

Macau sports betting operator Macau SLOT reports US$16 million profit in 2024, new one-year concession granted

Wed 25 Jun 2025 at 14:07
Macau’s Labour Affairs Bureau says contact made with 4,812 satellite casino employees to discuss rights

Macau’s Labour Affairs Bureau says contact made with 4,812 satellite casino employees to discuss rights

Tue 24 Jun 2025 at 19:09
Emperor Group to target Macau’s premium mass market after 2019 revenue decline

Emperor Entertainment sees Macau gaming segment’s revenue contribution rise in FY25 just as satellite casino era nears its end

Tue 24 Jun 2025 at 06:50
Global operators asked to register interest as New Zealand moves forward with online gambling regulation

Global operators asked to register interest as New Zealand moves forward with online gambling regulation

Tue 24 Jun 2025 at 06:25
Load More
Tags: Alvin ChauChau Chun HeeMacauonline gamblingSuncity GroupTrial
Share9Share2
Pierce Chan

Pierce Chan

With more than five years’ experience working as a journalist in Macau, Pierce is an experienced media operator with strong skills in news writing and editing. He previously worked with Exmoo, first as a reporter covering government, gaming and tourism-related stories, then as a Deputy Assignment Editor helping set the agenda of the day. Pierce is a graduate of the University of Macau.

Current Issue

Editorial – Foreigner-only casinos: Seize the day

Editorial – Foreigner-only casinos: Seize the day

by Ben Blaschke
Thu 29 May 2025 at 13:38

I was recently asked by someone working at a foreigner-only casino for my thoughts on the outlook for the Asian...

On the brink

On the brink

by Pierce Chan
Thu 29 May 2025 at 13:27

The transition period for Macau’s 11 satellite casinos is set to expire at the end of this year, after which...

A moral defense of gambling

A moral defense of gambling

by Andrew Russell
Wed 28 May 2025 at 18:19

Economist Andrew Russell explores the differences between community benefit and in-principle arguments for the existence of a legal gambling industry...

Face to face

Face to face

by Ben Blaschke
Wed 28 May 2025 at 18:08

Konami caught the eye at the recent G2E Asia show in Macau with its SYNK Vision Tables, which utilize facial...

Evolution Asia
Aristocrat
GLI
SABA
Mindslot
Solaire
Hann
Tecnet
NWR
Jumbo
568Win

Related Posts

Macau sports betting concessionaire Macau SLOT sees profit grow 32% to US$15.7 million in 2021

Macau sports betting operator Macau SLOT reports US$16 million profit in 2024, new one-year concession granted

by Pierce Chan
Wed 25 Jun 2025 at 14:07

Macau SLOT – Macau’s only sports betting concessionaire – reported a profit of MOP$130 million (US$16.1 million) in 2024, representing a slight 5.5% increase compared to 2023. The company also revealed it has been granted a one-year extension to its...

The Star Sydney’s casino license in limbo as final report from second inquiry handed to regulator

Star Entertainment Group shareholders give approval to AU$300 million Bally’s rescue package

by Ben Blaschke
Wed 25 Jun 2025 at 13:50

Star Entertainment Group shareholders have overwhelmingly voted in favor of an AU$300 million (US$195 million) rescue proposal by US casino operator Bally’s Corp and local investor Investment Holdings. At a General Meeting held on Wednesday morning, 99.36% of eligible shareholders...

Seaport Research: Thai casino regulations won’t be suitable for US operator involvement

Thailand’s move to recriminalize cannabis highlights casino operator concerns over regulatory instability

by Ben Blaschke
Wed 25 Jun 2025 at 05:53

Just weeks after global casino operators outlined the need for regulatory certainty if they are to pursue multi-billion-dollar investment into entertainment complexes in Thailand, their concerns look set to be highlighted by a government move to recriminalize cannabis. Thailand’s Public...

Sri Lankan cabinet approves creation of Gambling Regulatory Authority

Sri Lanka lifts restrictions on import of casino equipment

by Newsdesk
Wed 25 Jun 2025 at 05:46

Sri Lanka’s Committee on Public Finance (COPF) is said to have lifted restrictions imposed on the importation of gaming machines during the recent economic crisis. According to local media reports, casino equipment is among a range of products listed for...



IAG

© 2005-2024
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.

  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • NEWSFEED
  • MAG ARTICLES
  • VIDEO
  • OPINION
  • TAGS
  • REGIONAL
  • EVENTS
  • CONSULTING
  • CONTRIBUTORS
  • MAGAZINES
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • ADVERTISE
  • 中文

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • 中文
  • Subscribe
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • Magazines
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • About
  • Home for G2E Asia

© 2005-2024
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.

  • 中文
  • English