A former senior marketing executive at Crown Resorts has failed in her attempt to claim interest on a massive gambling debt run up by Chinese billionaire Huang Youlong. The Hong Kong Court of First Instance dismissed Chua Eh Fong’s claim for overdue interest on the AU$60 million lost at Crown Perth and ordered her to cover the legal costs.
Huang burned through the money in just four days in 2015. He later repaid the principal to Macau junket operator Suncity. Chua, who had served as Crown’s vice president of marketing, argued she was personally entitled to interest charged at 24% a year.
Court Finds No Evidence of Personal Credit Agreements
Chua claimed she and Huang had struck two oral credit agreements covering the AU$60 million advanced for his play. Under those alleged deals, she said she could charge 24% annual interest once repayment fell overdue.
Deputy High Court Judge Alan Kwong rejected the story. He ruled that Suncity, not Chua, had supplied the credit and therefore remained the actual creditor. The judge described her account as lacking “basic commercial common sense” and noted that WeChat messages exchanged before the lawsuit undercut key parts of her evidence.
Importantly, Chua never mentioned any personal interest entitlement during a January 2016 settlement meeting that included both Huang and Suncity founder Alvin Chau. The judge characterised her later claims as afterthoughts.
Huang himself did not give evidence, citing medical advice that supposedly prevented long-haul flights. Although the court found his medical explanation unreliable, that finding did nothing to support Chua’s case.
How the AU$60 Million Vanished in Four Days
The debt originated during Huang’s February 2015 visit to Crown Perth. Crown had already declined to extend him further credit because of existing large debts at other casinos and with other junket operators. Chua then arranged an alternative facility through Suncity.
The junket operator first advanced AU$40 million in chips. Huang lost the entire amount in roughly 48 hours. He then received another AU$20 million in an attempt to chase his losses. That second tranche disappeared within two more days, bringing total losses to AU$60 million in under a week.
Repayment Involved Cheques, a Mansion and a Wedding Gift
Collecting the money stretched over several years and involved multiple transactions. Huang issued three cheques of about AU$11 million each, though one was dishonoured. He also transferred a Hong Kong mansion valued at around AU$13.3 million to Chua as part of the settlement arrangements. On top of that, he paid her AU$950,000 as a wedding gift in recognition of her help with the debt.
By the end of 2019 Huang had repaid the full AU$60 million to Suncity. The junket operator then issued a formal deed releasing him from further liability.
The dispute centres on private credit arrangements between a casino, a junket operator and a VIP customer — practices that differ significantly from the experience of regular players. For readers interested in Australia’s online gambling market, our guides to online casinos and real money casinos explain how modern casino platforms operate.
The case offers another window into the enormous credit lines once extended to international high rollers through the close relationships between Australian casinos and Asian junket operators.
Pokie Inc will continue following major court decisions and regulatory developments involving Crown Resorts and the wider Australian casino sector.
