Macau's DB regulatory authority: SunCity records show no discrepancies

Baka101101

"A representative from Macau's DB regulatory authority testified in court on Monday, stating that the authorities never noticed discrepancies in the accounts provided by the former major intermediary operator in Macau, SunCity. However, the head of the Compliance Department of the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) told the court that their agency couldn't independently access SunCity's records, meaning they couldn't determine if there were omissions in the records provided, as reported by TDM Macau.

This case involves alleged illicit income, with intermediaries accused of concealing information from DB operators and the Macau SAR government, focusing on proxy betting. DICJ representatives said that these amounts weren't detected during audits. The authorities claim that these losses have cost the SAR around $1 billion in lost revenue and DB operators more than $250 million in lost revenue.

Wong Long Peng noted that given the scale of the intermediary's business, the substantial funds in SunCity's client accounts weren't unusual. However, the head of the department did point out that the accounts provided by operators were quite simplified, and with over 200 intermediaries in existence at the time, DICJ didn't have the manpower to conduct detailed audits. The representative pointed out that the accounts provided by DICJ operators weren't significantly different from those provided by the operators, as the regulatory agency was doing a lot of work, and any unidentified accounts at the time weren't considered significant.

Local broadcaster TDM reported the witness telling the prosecution, ""If SunCity mixed some income or operations, DICJ didn't know. If other operations were carried out, they [the bets] weren't recorded."" Thus, the representative also noted that there were no signs of untaxed income by DICJ. The focus of this case pertains to allegations of phone betting, online gaming, and phone betting, with the defendants claiming phone betting was related to the Manila intermediary's business. SunCity's defense denies any allegations regarding online gaming in Macau.

Macau authorities claim that SunCity's phone betting led to DB activities in Manila, rather than in the SAR. The DICJ representative pointed out, ""If these [bets] were made by Macau intermediaries in Macau, they should have been placed with local concessionaire operators' DB."" SunCity ceased all phone betting activities in Macau in 2014, before Macau officially legislated the ban in 2018. These activities were then transferred to their Manila operations.

TDM Canal Macau further noted that Alvin Chau, the former head of SunCity, argued that the alleged unpaid dues amount was calculated by the SAR's Judiciary JC, not the DB regulatory agency."

Jatin255

The regulatory authorities have the final say, and there's nothing much that can be done about it.

Kahn332

Nowadays, Macau's supervision of the gambling industry is becoming increasingly stringent.

Kalkin995

It remains uncertain whether Sun City can regain its former glory.

Jiten171

Sun City is not doing well at the moment either.

Ritu13

It's a good idea to keep an eye on the news when you have the time.