Published on: September 23, 2025, 02:59h.

Updated on: September 23, 2025, 03:24h.

• Man threatened cruise ship with a bomb over casino losses
• Email threat delayed boarding for 4,000 passengers
• Potential seven-year prison sentence and substantial fines await the perpetrator

A man from Singapore, who incurred losses of approximately S$2,000 (around US$1,558) while gambling on a Resorts World casino cruise, resorted to sending bomb threats to the operator in an effort to recover his losses.

Neo Hui Ghim, 41, admitted to a charge of transmitting false information regarding a dangerous scenario. His sentencing, originally set for September 22, has now been rescheduled to October 27, when he may face a maximum prison term of seven years, a fine of up to $50K, or both, according to The Straits Times.

Swift Arrest

According to prosecutors, Neo and his family embarked on a Resorts World Cruises (RWC) voyage from Singapore to Malaysia and back in October 2023. Although Neo intended to attend a concert on the ship, tickets were unavailable, leading him to gamble instead, ultimately losing his money over several visits, as outlined in court documentation.

After the cruise concluded on October 13, Neo sent an email to Resorts World Cruises’ customer support, ominously titled “Bomb at Resorts World Cruises.”

“Please refund me my money, or the ship will explode, and everyone will be thrown into the sea,” the email stated.

Neo was quickly tracked down as the sender since he used the same email address for both the threat and his cruise reservation.

He was arrested within three hours of sending the threat, although his actions had already caused significant disruption, impacting around 4,000 travelers set to board the next cruise.

“In response to the threat, law enforcement, alongside the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and cruise center security personnel, performed thorough inspections of the ship. No dangerous items were located,” police reported at the time.

Desperate Measures

Neo isn’t alone in taking drastic steps to evade gambling debts on cruise ships.

Earlier this month, Jey Gonzalez-Diaz, a passenger on a Royal Caribbean cruise, jumped overboard in a desperate act to escape a US$16K casino loss.

He was rescued by a passing jet-skier in the Port of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and is currently in federal custody.