Jan 12, 2015 Newsdesk Latest News, Macau, Top of the deck  
The Macau police on Saturday dismantled what has been described as a large prostitution ring that was using Hotel Lisboa (pictured). Several senior hotel executives were arrested, including managing director Alan Ho, media reports said.
The police made the announcement on Sunday, although it did not identify the property or Mr Ho, a nephew of SJM Holdings Ltd’s chairman Stanley Ho Hung Sun. But a report by public broadcaster Rádio Macau confirmed that the venue used by the prostitution ring was Hotel Lisboa. The report also confirmed Mr Ho’s identity, adding he was presented on Monday to the city’s Public Prosecutions Office.
Hotel Lisboa is owned by Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau SA (STDM), which controls around 55 percent of Macau-based gaming operator SJM Holdings. SJM Holdings manages the casino in the Lisboa complex. A purchase option agreement for SJM Holdings to acquire the property was dropped in March 2009.
An email and phone calls to SJM Holdings by GGRAsia seeking clarification and more information on the police action had not been answered by the time this story was published on Monday evening. On Tuesday afternoon a spokeswoman for Hotel Lisboa returned one of GGRAsia’s calls but said the property had no comment to make.
Police said 96 suspected prostitutes, aged between 20 and 27, were held for investigation. One was from Vietnam, while all the others were from mainland China.
The police detained six suspects, including senior hotel executives, for their alleged involvement. The ring is suspected to have been in operation since at least 2013, according to the police.
The prostitutes allegedly were forced to pay the ring an “entrance fee” to use the hotel in order to solicit clients. The police estimate the ring made more than MOP400 million (US$50 million) over the past two years.
Prostitution is not illegal in Macau as long as an individual selling sexual services does so in a private place. But several activities related to the selling of sexual services are illegal. Soliciting for customers is a crime and organised prostitution is also illegal.
In December 2010, the Macau police arrested more than 100 women at another casino resort, the Venetian Macao, on prostitution-related charges.
(Updated at 5:30pm, January 13)
May 23, 2023
May 15, 2023
Jun 08, 2023
Jun 08, 2023
Jun 08, 2023
Macau recorded 158 “gaming-related” crimes in the first three months of 2023, up 24.4 percent on the 127 identified in the prior-year period, according to the latest statistics published on...Jun 08, 2023
Gaming content and equipment maker Konami says it is...Jun 07, 2023
Casino gaming content and hardware provider Light &...Jun 06, 2023
Electronic table games (ETGs) supplier Interblock dd is...Jun 05, 2023
Random number generator (RNG) testing tools are among the...Jun 01, 2023
Alfastreet, a manufacturer of electronic gaming machines,...Jun 01, 2023
Casino equipment maker Sega Sammy Creation Inc is tweaking...Jun 01, 2023
The iGaming segment in Asia “has grown rapidly” since...May 31, 2023
Showing slot machine players – via animations on the...May 31, 2023
Macau stocks in likelihood “have been punished too much...May 31, 2023
There are foreign companies still interested in investing...May 31, 2023
Thailand could pass the necessary enabling legislation for...May 30, 2023
China will remain a key market for Asian gaming...May 30, 2023
Alejandro Tengco (pictured in a file photo), chairman and...May 30, 2023
There are “plenty of reasons” for the global gaming...May 30, 2023
Gaming equipment provider International Game Technology Plc...May 30, 2023
The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia 2023 Special Edition:...May 29, 2023
Austria-based gaming equipment maker and operator Novomatic...May 25, 2023
Sports betting and online casino operating platform...May 24, 2023
The business performance in Asia of gaming content and...May 18, 2023
The organisers of Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia 2023...May 17, 2023
Gaming content and equipment supplier Light & Wonder...May 16, 2023
Casino equipment maker Sega Sammy Creation Inc is to...May 09, 2023
Casino slot machine and digital gaming content provider...May 05, 2023
The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia event in Singapore is the...May 04, 2023
An adviser to a Thailand parliamentary committee mulling...(Click here for more)
”I think the gaming sector has a huge potential in coming years. The situation around the pandemic drew a lot of attention from the casino operators to the ETG segment”
Michael Hu
President for the Asia-Pacific region at gaming supplier Interblock