Yeoh Zhong Cheng is a 25-year-old former dealer of the Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore who recently earned jail time for stealing casino chips from the venue. Cheng will spend 20 months and 22 weeks in jail after the court found him guilty of stealing SG$124,000 over a two month time frame. This is equal to $89,000 in USD.
In June and July of 2018, Cheng was working at the casino after two years of employment. He stole the chips by skimming SG$1,000 in chips from the float. He would then slip the chips into his shirt. The chips would be hidden in his locker during breaks and then a friend or his brother would cash the chips in at a later time.
The scheme would continue to play out until the casino was able to catch him in the act. On July 12, 2019, the surveillance cameras of the casino caught Cheng pocketing chips when he was at the baccarat table dealing to patrons.
Once his activity was discovered, it was found out that the dealer was stealing the chips to pay off debts that were owed to unlicensed moneylenders. Of the large amount of money stolen, only three chips were recovered. Cheng pled guilty to his actions and admitted to his crimes.
In Singapore and other nearby areas, players are taking out loans with unlicensed moneylenders. Such actions has led to behavior similar to Cheng as the moneylenders threaten action against the players if they do not pay up. Kidnapping is not uncommon in Asia as players are taken from their homes by the moneylenders and ransoms requested by the kidnappers to family members in order to see the player’s return.
Police and other agencies are working hard to stop such activity. So far, their efforts have been slow going as the underground syndicates have been working for years successfully.
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