Marina Bay Sands, the Singapore integrated resort owned and operated by US casino giant Las Vegas Sands, has reached a settlement agreement with a former high roller over SG$9.1 million (US$6.5 million) he alleged was transferred to the accounts of other patrons without his consent, according to a report by Bloomberg.
Wang Xi sued MBS last October in pursuit of the funds which he claimed was sent from his casino account without his authority via 22 transfers made between October and December 2015.
Wang said he was told by MBS at the time that it had received authorization letters signed by him in Macau to proceed with the transfers, but he claimed those signatures had been illegally copied and pasted and that he didn’t know any of the recipients of his funds.
He also alleged he was told by MBS that original copies of the letters had since been destroyed for “reasons of confidentiality.” The lawsuit said MBS “failed to verify whether the Disputed Authorization Letters were in fact signed by the plaintiff before effecting the disputed transactions.”
According to a weekend report by Bloomberg, MBS has now met Wang’s demands in an out of court settlement, under which Wang will also be allowed back into the casino provided he abides by its policies.
The high-profile case was central to an alleged investigation recently launched by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) over potential breaches to anti-money laundering regulations.
Another Bloomberg report published in early June said that US prosecutors are investigating possible violations regarding the use of junkets or third-party lending using casino credit, as well as whether there has been any retaliation against whistle blowers.
Marina Bay Sands told Bloomberg that it has not received any requests from the DOJ while Singapore’s Casino Regulatory Authority said it has not been contacted by the DOJ regarding MBS but issued a statement outlining its commitment to “ensuring that the casinos in Singapore, including Marina Bay Sands, remain free from criminal influence or exploitation, and takes a serious view of any allegations of unauthorized money transfers.”
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