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

1.19 Alvin Chau (Suncity Group)

Macau — Historical Figure

Alvin Chau was the founder and former chairman of Suncity Group, once the world’s largest gaming junket operator. Known as the “Junket King,” Chau was arrested in November 2021 and in January 2023 was sentenced to 18 years in prison on approximately 290 counts including organized crime, illegal gambling, and fraud. His conviction was a landmark case that precipitated the collapse of Macau’s junket industry. Prosecutors established that Chau’s syndicate facilitated under-the-table bets (side-betting) that defrauded casinos of HK$823.7 billion and deprived the Macau government of HK$8.26 billion in tax revenue.

In practice

Chau’s conviction represented the decisive blow to 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 — 1,157 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.