Las Vegas authorities believe four Hong Kong high-rollers accused of cheating are guilty of the biggest such scam in the gambling capital's recent history.
Even though Las Vegas boasts the world's biggest casinos with the toughest security, the alleged conspiracy between the Hong Kong businessmen and corrupt dealers is the most serious involving the new wave of wealthy gamblers from the territory, agents said yesterday.
But the lawyer representing one of arrested men, Lee Chi-pang, last night said the defendants were legitimate gamblers who had unwittingly sat down at a mini-baccarat table where the illegal card game was taking place.
Lee, 41, and John Lok Chun, 40, are due to be arraigned in a Las Vegas federal court tonight, along with three American-Chinese casino dealers.
Lam Kam-kong, 38, and Wu Chi-ming, 34, also alleged to be part of the card scam, are believed to be at large in Hong Kong and are being sought.
Authorities allege up to US$733,000 (HK$5.66 million) was illegally won by the syndicate from three casinos, including the MGM Grand, Las Vegas' biggest. Assistant US Attorney Kurt Schulke said: 'This was a serious problem and the casinos wanted to nip it as fast as they could.
'It was going on in three casinos and we believe it also went on in others too.' Keith Copher, chief of enforcement with the Nevada Gaming Control Board, said: 'These are serious crimes. We don't take things like this lightly. It's a considerable amount of money that's been stolen through illegal methods.' The alleged scam was the largest case of organised cheating involving Hong Kong players, although some small incidents involving individual cheating had been tackled in the past, said Mr Copher.