Even the biggest pros often look for financial backing to enter tournaments for a split of the winnings. Despite Phua busting out early, he managed to win millions at other tournaments, continued to grow his impressive funds, and ultimately helped push global, high-stakes poker beyond anything anyone could have imagined.

That is, anyone except US federal officials. Shasky-Calvery had considerable experience in organized crime and money laundering and was interested in the increase in Vegas baccarat revenue that accounted for Coupled with the growing desperation of the American gambling market that was increasingly dependent on Asian clientele, Treasury officials realized that billions of dollars were wired into Las Vegas casinos with minimal if any knowledge of their origins.

They also realized that Phua would be coming to town, and Shasky-Calvery was interested to see what he would do. Why would Phua come to Las Vegas at the start of the biggest gambling tournament in the world?

Quite simply, greed. The World Cup began the day before the start of the WSOP—11 June—and there was far too much money being made, both legally and illegally.

They requested desktop computers, monitors, laptops, multiple DSL lines, and access to several television providers. On 18 June, Phua returned to Macau where he was arrested at the Wynn casino as part of the largest bookmaking bust in Macau history.

Phua was charged with promoting illegal gambling and criminal association. After posting bail, he returned to Las Vegas where he planned to stay until the day after the World Cup ended.

Hotel officials traced the transfer activity and found additional questionable transfers during December and January —also when Phua was visiting.

Long story short, after communication and collaboration with other law enforcement and gaming officials, federal law enforcement officials concluded that Phua was running an illicit wire room from Caesars, and the FBI opened its case.

FBI agents posed as technicians in order to obtain the necessary evidence to obtain a search warrant. Phua, Yong, both of their sons, and four other Chinese and Malaysian nationals were arrested and charged with operating an illicit gambling business and transmitting betting information; each of which carries a seven-year maximum prison sentence.

Phua left for Montenegro—one of his few remaining friendly ports. How Phua evolved from a small bookie and numbers runner to the largest bookmaker in the world—and the most powerful figure in poker—is a truly fascinating story.

Paul Phua has always asserted that he is not the person the media alleges him to be. Card Player. Retrieved August 28, Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description matches Wikidata.

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Download as PDF Printable version. Deutsch Edit links. This is a new investigation sourced from insider information, public data and Football Leaks documents obtained by the German news magazine Der Spiegel and shared with The Black Sea, Nacional and their partners in the EIC network, made in collaboration with Montenegrin news site Vijesti.

On 14 July , the sky above a bay on the Adriatic Coast was struck with searchlights, fireworks and flashing strobes bursting from an outdoor stage.

Hundreds were gathering on a balmy summer evening for a night of bombast and opulence. With rooms and 18 suites, the hotel was set to become a haven for gambling and a magnet for poker enthusiasts, with slot machines, roulette, gaming tables and VIP tournaments.

Such lavish praise was accompanied by a ribbon-cutting ceremony, where Markovic stood alongside one of the major investors, the year old Malaysian Paul Phua.

Phua is a multi-millionaire bookmaker who was convicted for running an illegal betting scheme in Malaysia during the European Football Championships in , and arrested in both Macau and Las Vegas for similar operations in the World Cup in There is indication that he bribed his way out of jail in Macau, and the FBI has named him as a known member of the feared Hong Kong-based organised crime group, the 14K Triad.

In both Macao and Las Vegas he evaded conviction. Now called Maxbet, this is one of the largest online betting sites in the world, but is restricted from operating in a plethora of countries.

For three years Phua was Ambassador for San Marino to Montenegro, a position authorised by the Montenegrin Government, despite his shady past.

This trial has been delayed until April , due to the illness of one of the defendants. But none of this seemed to matter to the political elite of Montenegro, as long as Phua - and his associates - poured in money to the tiny Republic.

Neither the prime minister nor the president's office would answer questions from EIC Network on its relationship with Phua.

In this investigation, we probe into Paul Phua's colourful past, and examine how the Malaysian and his associates bought their way into Montenegrin high society.

The city of Miri, Malaysia. The local police cut the Internet wire outside a condominium, where an illegal betting ring was taking bets on the game.

Panic erupted inside. The cops broke down the door. Inside were 20 monitors connected to a satellite dish, overseen by a gang from Taiwan, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Among them was the 40 year-old Paul 'Wei Seng' Phua, a sports fan with a smart, mathematical brain who began a gambling career punting on horse-racing in Malaysia, and soon shone as a master of anticipating winning bets.

But the cops said a deal could be made only after he confessed. Phua blurted out the truth, a trial found him guilty, he received a fine, and left the country to Vietnam, stated the newspaper Malaysiakini.

The cops were informed later by their overseas colleagues that Phua was a member of the 14K Triad. Triads are clandestine criminal groups active in the Chinese territories and Taiwan.

Traditionally, recruits must pass an initiation ceremony including 36 oaths a promise to die if any of these are broken.

Based in Hong Kong and operational since around , 14K was one of the largest organisations, which has been engaged in illegal gambling, extortion, prostitution, credit card fraud, drug trafficking, and, reportedly, even smuggling elephant ivory, rhino horn, tigers and whale meat.

And they soon expanded their activities to Macao, which was under Portuguese control until it returned to China in But in the last 30 years, the 14K has adapted to the modern business environment, and operates as a network exchanging favours.

After the handover in , China encouraged the gaming industry to expand, stimulate tourism and grow the economy, and western companies were quick to exploit this opportunity.

But with this gentrification, the Triads did not vanish. But could Phua have undertaken such a huge activity without being connected to the Triads?

Online betting was becoming a billion-dollar industry in the mids. But it lacked regulation, and caused a dilemma for international crime enforcement: what happens when such a company operates from one country where it is licensed, but offers its services in another where it is unlicensed?

In the Philippines, there were no qualms about this issue. The Cagayan Economic Zone Authority allowed the First Cagayan Leisure and Resort Corporation to license and regulate gambling operators from its namesake northern province.

Therefore betting sites could open and be registered on its territory for a few dozen thousand dollars, and offer online betting internationally. Back in , IBC Bet claimed to be the number one betting website in the world, running over 6, live matches and processing billions of dollars every month, with the best odds and the highest limits.

In , Phua was named as the operator of this betting site in a U. S court. Asian betting sites are different from European sites, as punters can place larger bets more often.

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