Hong Kong high-roller sues Marina Bay Sands over use of pooled chips
Singapore resort barred businessman from gambling with shared pool, law suit claims
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 13 January, 2015, 11:56pm
UPDATED : Tuesday, 13 January, 2015, 11:56pm
Bryan Harris [email protected]
The Marina Bay Sands resort is countersuing. Photo: AFP
A high-roller businessman from Hong Kong has launched legal action against Marina Bay Sands in Singapore amid claims the casino stopped him gambling.
Cheung Che-kin is seeking damages from the resort after allegedly suffering losses when casino staff prevented him from taking over a baccarat game from a combined pool of chips he shared with a friend, according to documents from the Singapore high court.
The casino denied Cheung's claims and has launched a counter suit in Hong Kong in a bid to retrieve a HK$11.5 million credit line given to the businessman to gamble in the luxury resort.
The incident, first reported yesterday by the Straits Times , took place over two days in December 2012 when Cheung and an associate, Qian Si Jie, visited the Lion City attraction
Before gambling, Cheung - a client since its opening in 2010 - informed the casino via his personal host that he and Qian would be playing together from a combined pool of chips.
The host subsequently informed Cheung that such arrangements had been made, leading the VIP to believe the casino was happy with the situation, according to the court documents.
Using the HK$11.5 million credit line, the two men played baccarat in one of the casino's high-roller rooms, with Qian at one point betting from the combined pool of chips without objection from staff.
But when Qian said he felt unwell and Cheung attempted to take over playing from the combined chips, he was refused permission.
He departed, leaving Qian to eventually exhaust the credit line and lose all the chips.
Cheung is now suing the casino for wrongdoing and breach of contract, with the Hongkonger claiming that the actions of the casino staff were akin to a forced repayment.
The resort is countersuing in a bid to obtain the outstanding HK$11.5 million credit amount, plus 12 per cent interest.
However, the legal action - started by Marina Bay Sands in Hong Kong in July last year - has been stayed with questions raised over whether the city's courts have jurisdiction over the matter, the court documents show.
Lawyers for Cheung declined to comment on the case.
