Part V: Regional & Cultural · Asia-Pacific Regional Terms

Alvin Chau (Suncity Group)

Macau — Historical FigureREPORTED

Alvin Chau was the founder and chairman of Suncity Group, once Macau’s largest gaming junket operator. Known as the “Junket King,” he was arrested in November 2021. In January 2023 Macau’s Court of First Instance convicted him on 162 of 289 counts, including criminal association, illegal gambling and fraud, and sentenced him to 18 years in prison. Prosecutors said the syndicate’s under-the-table bets totalled about HK$823.7 billion and cost the Macau government more than HK$8.26 billion in tax. On appeal, the Court of Second Instance acquitted him of fraud against the casino operators, convicted him of aggravated money laundering and kept the 18-year sentence; the Court of Final Appeal dismissed his appeal in July 2024.

In practice

The case was a turning point for Macau’s junket industry. His operations extended well beyond Macau to Australia, Southeast Asia, and other jurisdictions. The case demonstrated the scale of illegal activity embedded in the junket model.

One entry from the Casino Industry Glossary, 1,090 terms written for surveillance, compliance and operations professionals rather than for players. Definitions describe industry usage; where a term carries a regulatory meaning, verify against the instrument that governs your jurisdiction.