Wynn Macau off the hook in Dore junket internal theft case

Casino operator Wynn Resorts got a rare piece of good news after a Macau court absolved the company of responsibility for a massive internal theft at a Wynn Macau VIP gaming room.

On Monday, the Macau Court of First Instance rule ordered junket operator Dore Entertainment Co Ltd to repay HK$6m (US$764k) to an individual who sought to gamble in the Dore-operated VIP room at the Wynn Macau casino.

In 2015, Dore was the victim of a massive internal theft by Chao Ioc Mei, a casino cage manager who absconded with roughly HK$700m (although initial reports pegged the stolen sum much higher). In 2016, the Macau courts ordered Chao (whose whereabouts remain unknown) to repay $12.9m in funds owed directly to Dore, leaving it up to individual investors and gamblers to pursue legal claims of their own.

Macau Business reported that four individuals had pursued claims against Dore totaling HK$64m but three of these individuals failed to provide the necessary documentation to justify their claims. The fourth individual was able to produce a receipt showing his HK$6m deposit with the cage manager.