CRIME | Man swindled out of HKD1 million after ‘dead casino chips’ purchase

A mainland Chinese man has been swindled out of HKD1 million after purchasing ‘dead casino chips.’ The Judiciary Police told a press conference they had arrested a suspect on February 28 at the Border Gate.
On January 27, the man paid HKD1 million as deposit to a casino middleman, to be provided with casino chips worth HKD500,000. After gambling, the man won HKD300,000 and later returned the casino chips to the promoter, asking him for more ‘dead chips’ so he could continue gambling.
The suspect told him he provided him with more ‘dead chips’ but never returned. The man filed a complaint with the police and the suspect was later arrested for loan sharking.
‘Dead chips’ are non-negotiable chips sold to the VIP room contractor by the casino, and later resold to VIP customers. These chips can be used in play but cannot be redeemed for money. When a gambler wins, he is paid in ‘live chips,’ which can be redeemed for cash or returned to the contractor, who then provides the client with more dead chips. According to the University of Nevada, this process is called “chip rolling.”
In yesterday’s Public Security Police (PSP) and PJ joint press conference, the authorities also revealed the details of a recent abduction case. Three suspects abducted a mainland man at a casino in Cotai after he failed to pay back his debt. The suspects lent him HKD50,000 to gamble. He also provided them his ID documents, a watch worth HKD33,000, and a bag worth HKD 6,000.
He also agreed to give the suspects 15 percent of his profit if he won. However, the victim lost everything and was taken to a casino room by the suspects. He pretended to call a friend asking for money but called the police instead.
Another suspect in an extortion and kidnapping case dating back to September 2014 has been arrested, authorities revealed. A Vietnamese man, whose girlfriend was arrested last year in connection with the case, was detained last month. Authorities suspect they kidnapped two Vietnamese women, who were locked in an apartment. The kidnappers requested a payment of MOP10,000 each to be freed. The suspects would later ask their families for a MOP20,000 ransom, PSP revealed yesterday.

Stolen motorbike used to visit casino

A 33-year-old man from mainland China stole a motorbike last month because he did not have enough money to get to a casino, he told police authorities. A Macau resident, aged 24, reported her motorbike stolen near Shanghai Street. On February 27, a police agent spotted a man driving the motorbike near the area and chased him; he intercepted the man near Shanghai Street. The man told police authorities that he had seen the motorbike with its keys in the ignition and used it to go to a nearby casino, claiming he did not have enough money to get there. PSP told a press conference that he did not hold a driver’s license and that his visa had already expired.