Paul Phua Cleared of Illegal Betting Operation Charges

Multi-millionaire Malaysian businessman and high-stakes poker player, Paul Phua along with 14 others have been acquitted by the Court of First Instance in Macau.

Phua was arrested on charges of running an illegal betting operation at Wynn Macau during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. According to Macau authorities, Phua along with 24 people were charged with handling $147.7 million in wagers during the first week of the event.

After two weeks of trial, the court ruled in favor of Phua after the prosecutors were unable to prove Phua and the other defendants had placed bets on football matches.

The Malaysian businessman was also acquitted on similar charges in the US in 2014 after he was accused of running an illegal betting operation in a Caesars Palace villa by FBI agents.

Paul Phua is a well-known high-stakes poker player and has over $5 million in total live earnings. His biggest win came in 2012 after he finished first at Aspers 100K High Roller for $1.6 million.

He was also involved in a hand versus Tom Dwan at Triton High Roller Series in Jeju last year which happened to be one of the biggest televised poker pots. He won the hand and took down over $2.3 million pot.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call the Virginia Council on Problem Gambling (VACPG) helpline at 1-888-532-3500
published 5 years, 1 month ago • by permalink

Keep Reading:

« Back to Homepage