Las Vegas Sands 'linked to Hong Kong triad'

Lawsuit claims casino let alleged crime boss transfer gambling credit

Published on Aug 27, 2012

Las Vegas Sands allowed a man identified by the United States Senate as an organised crime figure to move a US$100,000 (S$125,000) gambling credit from a Las Vegas casino to Sands Macau (above), according to documents that emerged in the wake of a lawsuit filed by a former Sands employee. -- PHOTO: MACAO CASINO

(REUTERS) - Las Vegas Sands allowed a man identified by the United States Senate as an organised crime figure to move a US$100,000 (S$125,000) gambling credit from a Las Vegas casino to one of its Macau casinos, according to documents that emerged in the wake of a lawsuit filed by a former Sands employee.

The cooperation with an alleged crime boss could draw the attention of Nevada gambling regulators, who are charged with stopping casinos from bringing "disrepute" to the state, at a time when Sands is the focus of several government investigations.

Sands, controlled by billionaire and prominent Republican party donor Sheldon Adelson, is under investigation by US and Nevada regulators for payments that raised bribery concerns under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Evidence in a wrongful termination lawsuit by a former Sands China chief executive spurred the probes.

An internal list of customer accounts reviewed by Reuters shows a US$100,000 credit moved from Sands' Venetian Las Vegas to the Sands Macau on Jan 31, 2009 for a Mr Charles Heung Wah Keung.

http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/world/story/las-vegas-sands-linked-hong-kong-triad-20120827