Category: gambling

China Moves Crime Money to Fuel Fentanyl Crisis in the West, Investigative Reporter Says

Beijing is fueling the fentanyl crisis in Canada and the United States through a sophisticated web involving drug cartels, loan sharks, and foreign casinos, said investigative journalist and author Sam Cooper. How Chinese money was funneled through such a web was described by Cooper as the “Vancouver model” in his book “Wilful Blindness: How a…


Macau’s Casinos Pin Hopes on Everyday Gamblers After Junket Shutdowns

HONG KONG—Macau’s casinos face a bleak short-term outlook after shutting most of their lucrative gaming rooms that cater to wealthy gamblers, and along with that, the COVID-19 travel restrictions preventing the shift to mass-market customers that they will depend on in the future. The former Portuguese colony, that is the world’s biggest gambling hub in…


Addiction Rates and COVID-19: A Crisis Within a Crisis

In the previous article, which was the first of this three-part series, we explored how rampant substance use disorders are in the United States. As many as 21 million people are currently affected by substance-related addiction, but only 10 percent of those seek treatment. We also discussed the idea of addiction as a brain disease….


Macau Arrests 11 People for Alleged Illegal Gambling and Money Laundering

HONG KONG—Macau police said on Sunday they had arrested 11 people in an investigation into an illegal gambling and money-laundering syndicate, a day after businessman Alvin Chau, who organizes trips to Asian casinos for big spending gamblers, was questioned at a police station. The police said in a statement that people involved in the case…


Commission on Money Laundering Plaguing BC Winds Up

B.C.’s inquiry into money laundering amid allegations of rampant drug crimes and crime proceeds injected into real estate—fuelling a housing affordability crisis—heard its closing submissions this week, ahead of its final report expected in December. Various stakeholders used their submissions to summarize their positions on the evidence heard, make general recommendations to the inquiry, assign…


Crown’s Victorian Licencing Fate Rides on Royal Commission Report

An Australian Royal Commission’s report into whether Crown Casino should keep its license in the state of Victoria has been handed to that state’s government, but the details will only be made public at the end of October. Former Federal Court judge Ray Finkelstein has spent five months examining whether the casino is fit to…


Opportunism Drives CCP’s Crackdown on Macau Casinos, Analysts Say

News Analysis China’s widely reported crackdown on the gaming industry of Macau arises from a mixture of opportunism and ideology, with the former an overriding factor, according to observers. The desire to eliminate perceived threats to Beijing’s dominance, and the economic motive of keeping gaming revenue from leaving China, are driving forces in this latest…


Macau Casino and Junket Operators Seek Clarity Over New Gambling Laws

HONG KONG—Senior Macau casino and junket executives met with authorities in the world’s biggest gambling hub on Monday seeking details on proposed regulatory changes but received little in the way of clarity. The 70-minute meeting, shown online, highlighted the uncertainty hanging over the industry since the government kicked off a regulatory overhaul on Sept. 14….


Billions Blown as Macau Casino Investors Fold Amid Gambling Review

HONG KONG—Shares of Macau casino operators on Wednesday shed as much as a third of their value, losing about $18 billion, as the government kicked off a regulatory overhaul that could see its officials supervising companies in the world’s largest gambling hub. With Macau’s lucrative casino licences up for rebidding next year, the plan spooked…


Santa Ana’s Crime Surge Prompts Taskforce

Police and city officials in Santa Ana are launching a multifaceted crime-fighting initiative in response to a rise of homicides and other violent crimes. “The increase in violent crime, unfortunately, is consistent with patterns, both in small and large cities across the country throughout 2020,” Santa Ana Chief of Police David Valentin said during a…