SkyCity Adelaide reaches settlement over casino millions dispute

SkyCity Adelaide has reached a confidential settlement with Linong Ma, bringing a long running legal wrangle to a conclusion. 

He had accused the casino operator of reneging on its responsibilities, with two men also accused of deceitful conduct, in relation to a gambling excursion in 2019.

One of the individuals was found liable by default after they failed to appear in court.

Ma, from Shanxi province in China, pursued the legal action after he was unable to recover substantial winnings of over AUD5 million ($3.2m), accrued during a lucky streak at the baccarat tables in the casino. 

Xiongming Xie and Fang Zhuangqian were the two men named in Ma’s legal filing, with the former operating a junket business in Sydney using a license related to Fang. 

Ma sent money to Xie to enable him to access high-stakes casino games in Australia, using non-negotiable chips and a hostess named in court documents as Goh. 

After Ma’s huge windfall, SkyCity staff advised him he could keep his chips in a secure deposit box, but while he was in Hong Kong, Xie was able to access his chips without permission.

Later, Ma was able to retrieve around AUD1.46 million ($937,904) of the funds, but a significant shortfall remained.

SkyCity was accused of negligence, with Xie and Fang said to have committed fraud. 

Notably, Xie was linked to previous significant criminal allegations, including a violent incident that led to criminal charges and connections to a suspected Triad ring. 

The South Australian Supreme Court immediately ruled against Fang by default as he refused to engage with the legal process, granting Ma’s request for compensation, which will be determined at a later date. 

Ultimately, SkyCity settled with Ma to avoid the prolonged legal battle going any further, but the sum has been undisclosed. 

Image credit: SkyCity Adelaide

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