Former junket boss Levo Chan's prison sentence reduced, fraud charges overturned

The Court of Second Instance has modified the prison sentences of former Macau junket boss Levo Chan and other defendants in a high-profile illicit gambling case, while dismissing the Prosecutions Office's plea for harsher penalties.

Levo Chan, the ex-head of Tak Chun, saw his prison sentence reduced from 14 to 13 years. The intermediate court upheld convictions for various offenses, including involvement in a secret society, organized crime, illicit gaming activities, and money laundering.

A notable development is the acquittal of the defendants on the fraud charge involving a substantial amount. Consequently, they are no longer obligated to pay compensation to the six Macau gaming concessionaires, as originally mandated by the lower court.

However, the intermediate court decided to augment the payment to the SAR Government to $0.31 billion (MOP2.49 billion) for illicit gains linked to under-the-table gambling.

This ruling aligns with the earlier decision in the case of former Suncity boss Alvin Chau, who was acquitted of defrauding concessionaires but had other charges related to financial wrongdoing upheld. Chau is presently serving an 18-year sentence.

The four other defendants in Chan's case are serving prison sentences ranging from seven to ten years.

The junket sector has faced significant challenges in recent years, marked by scandals and high-profile convictions related to illicit gaming activities, money laundering, and criminal syndication.

Earlier this year, the government announced plans to halve the number of licensed junket operators in the SAR and introduced a bill aimed at tightening gambling laws by explicitly prohibiting online and parallel betting.