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Chris Lau

Self-made Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada, better known as the “pachinko king”, has been released unconditionally by Hong Kong’s anti-corruption agency after being arrested for unspecified offences.
One of the tycoon’s companies, Aruze Gaming, revealed the news in a statement on Friday.
Okada, a septuagenarian who has strong business links with Hong Kong, had been granted bail by the Independent Commission Against Corruption since his arrest came to light in August last year.
“Mr Kazuo Okada is pleased to announce that Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption has released him from bail unconditionally,” the statement said.

“He no longer needs to report to the ICAC and his bail money was returned to him unconditionally.”
A spokesman for the agency said it was ICAC policy not to comment on individual cases.
Okada, a former business partner of American casino mogul Steve Wynn in the Wynn Resorts project, was in Hong Kong but would fly back to Japan on Monday, a source said.
Pachinko king Kazuo Okada denies charges in Hong Kong arrest
The tycoon shot to prominence by building an empire specialising in gaming, most notably for manufacturing pachinko machines, a Japanese pinball game. He has also been exploring the casino business in recent years.
Local media spotted the billionaire and his lawyers, including veteran barrister Cheng Huan SC, at ICAC headquarters in North Point in late July last year.
Days later in August, Universal Entertainment, the Tokyo-based company he founded and from which he was ousted as chairman, released a statement saying Okada was arrested for “various corruption-related offences” and distanced itself from the billionaire.

The tycoon was ousted by the company in 2017 after it accused him of misappropriating US$20 million, an allegation Okada vehemently denied.
He set up Hong Kong-registered Okada Holdings in 2010 to hold shares of Universal Entertainment.
Billionaire Japanese pachinko king arrested in Hong Kong, former company says
In a rare interview with the Post shortly before his arrest last year, the tycoon spoke of a series of bitter legal battles he had taken up in the city against his son, Tomohiro, who he said had ousted him from the local company.
In recent years, he had teamed up with his daughter, Hiromi, in a series of legal actions in a bid to regain control of the Hong Kong firm.


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Crime in Hong Kong

Billionaire Japanese pachinko king Kazuo Okada released unconditionally by Hong Kong’s anti-corruption agency, company Aruze Gaming says

Kazuo Okada made his money through manufacturing pachinko machines, a Japanese pinball game. Photo: Winson Wong

Exterior of ICAC headquarters in North Point. 26AUG16 SCMP / Felix Wong

The logo of the Universal Entertainment Corp. is seen at the company's headquarters in Tokyo November 30, 2012. Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada's Universal Entertainment funnelled at least $30 million to an ex-consultant for the Philippines gaming authority who is now at the centre of a bribery investigation, according to sources and company records. To match Exclusive CASINOS-PHILIPPINES/UNIVERSAL REUTERS/Toru Hanai (JAPAN - Tags: SOCIETY BUSINESS LOGO)

Pachinko king Kazuo Okada denies charges in Hong Kong arrest

Kazuo Okada, former majority shareholder of Wynn Resorts, poses for a portrait in Central. Photo: Winson Wong

Okada Manila. Photo: AFP

Billionaire Japanese pachinko king Kazuo Okada arrested in Hong Kong, former company says

Japanese gaming group Universal Entertainment Corp said on Monday its former chairman Kazuo Okada was arrested in Hong Kong by the territory’s Independent Commission Against Corruption in relation to multiple corruption-related offences. Photo: Winson Wong

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Hong Kong

Law and Crime

Septuagenarian tycoon had been granted bail after being arrested for unspecified offences last year


The septuagenarian tycoon had been granted bail after being arrested for unspecified offences last year.


Billionaire Japanese pachinko king Kazuo Okada released unconditionally by Hong Kong’s anti-corruption agency, company Aruze Gaming says

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Septuagenarian tycoon had been granted bail after being arrested for unspecified offences last year

Septuagenarian tycoon had been granted bail after being arrested for unspecified offences last year