Chinese Casino Patron Finalizes Settlement with SkyCity Casino and Junket Operators over Alleged Disappearance of $4.84 Million Gambling Winnings
Title: Chinese High Roller Alleges Junket Fraud after Winning Millions
Posted on: May 9, 2025, 08:08h.
Last updated on: May 9, 2025, 08:08h.
By Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc
Read More
- High Roller Sues Casino and Junket Operators after Mega Win
- Settlement Reached in SkyCity and Junket Operator Case
Linong Ma, a wealthy high roller from Hong Kong and Shanxi province, China, settled a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against Australia's Sky City Adelaide and two junket operators earlier this week. The allegations centered on the misappropriation of more than A$4.84 million (US$3.1 million) in casino winnings from 2019.
Ties to Organized Crime?
The court case targeted casino SkyCity and junket operators Xiongming Xie and Zhuangqian Fang. According to the lawsuit, Xie, who manages operations through Fang's license, has connections to organized crime, resulting in bans from all Australian casinos and substantial gambling debts [Enrichment Data: Source 1].
Previous media reports pointed to Xie's past as a former deputy of prominent junket operator and suspected organized crime figure Tom Zhou. Authorities in Australia have linked Zhou to investigations into money laundering, foreign influence operations, extortion, and human trafficking. Xie faced criminal charges in Australia in 2019 for alleged assault involving a knife attack [Enrichment Data: Source 2].
So, What Went Wrong?
In May 2019, Ma visited SkyCity Adelaide, accompanied by a VIP hostess named "Ms. Goh" [Enrichment Data: Source 3] as part of a junket organized by Fang. High rollers usually pay money to junkets via bank transfer, and in turn, receive non-negotiable chips at VIP rooms.
Ma initially withdrew A$400K (US$257K) in chips for baccarat, losing A$370K (US$238K). The next day, he reloaded with another A$600K (US$385K) and went on a winning streak, amassing over A$5 million (US$3.2 million) in winnings. After that, Ma wanted to cash out his chips, but was told the transaction couldn't be finalized until the following Monday.
With a prior commitment in Hong Kong for his son's graduation, Ma requested the casino employees to store his chips in a security box, accessible only by him. However, on May 29, someone at SkyCity transferred the chips to Xie, who returned only A$1.46 million to Ma, sparking the lawsuit [Enrichment Data: Source 3].
The lawsuit alleged negligence by SkyCity and fraud by Xie and Fang, with Ma seeking compensation for the missing millions.
Confidential Settlement
SkyCity and Xie settled out of court for an undisclosed amount, and South Australia's Supreme Court awarded a summary judgment against Fang, who did not participate in mediation [Enrichment Data: Source 4]. With the dispute now resolved through confidential settlements, the details of the agreements remain undisclosed.
- Linong Ma, the Chinese high roller from Hong Kong and Shanxi province, had a confidential settlement with Australia's Sky City Adelaide and junket operator Xiongming Xie over allegations of misappropriation of over A$4.84 million (US$3.1 million) in casino winnings from 2019.
- The lawsuit against SkyCity and Xiongming Xie also involved Zhuangqian Fang, another junket operator, who was accused of fraud and negligence.
- The case highlighted Xiongming Xie's alleged ties to organized crime, as he was previously a deputy of suspected organized crime figure Tom Zhou and has faced criminal charges in Australia.
- Ma's lawsuit was sparked by an incident in May 2019, when he won over A$5 million (US$3.2 million) playing casino games at SkyCity Adelaide, but was only returned A$1.46 million of his winnings.
- The settlement comes after a court case that involved accusations of baccarat games, high roller junket operations, big-wins, and possible linkages to organized crime in the casino-gambling industry, as well as other criminal activities such as money laundering and human trafficking.
- The lawsuit also pointed to the role of a VIP hostess named "Ms. Goh" and lottery-like practices in the junket operations at SkyCity Adelaide, raising concerns about the transparency and fairness of casino operations.
