The High Court of the Republic of Singapore has ruled against a foreign casino’s attempt to collect gambling debts through the Singaporean justice system.
By ruling that a court decision in Hong Kong regarding gambling debts in Macau is unenforceable in Singapore, Justice Philip Jeyaretnam has made Singaporeans immune to international casino demands for debt repayment.
Hong Kong Court Orders Repayment
At The Venetian Macau, Hu Yangning, a VIP customer from 2011 to 2024, was lent HK$15 million ($1.91 million) in credit by Sands China, the casino’s operator. The debt, including interest, had grown to HK$19.3 million when Hu ceased her play at the casino, leading Sands China to seek repayment.
Despite a Hong Kong court’s default judgment against Hu in March 2025, she refused to repay the debt, prompting Sands China to request repayment through Singaporean courts. The High Court of Singapore rejected this request, citing a public policy against enforcing gambling debts as per the Civil Law Act.
In my view, given the continued existence of the [Singapore] Civil Law Act (CLA), no action can be brought or maintained to enforce claims based on gambling debts. Since this public policy against enforcement of gambling debts is embodied in statute, it must prevail in any contest with ‘higher international public policy’ at common law,” Jeyaretnam ruled.
Las Vegas Sands owns half of Singapore’s casino duopoly with its Marina Bay Sands property.
Landmark Ruling
Sands China’s The Venetian Macau, one of the world’s largest casinos, opened in August 2007 and spans over 500,000 square feet, offering 659 table games and 1,137 slot machines as of December 31, 2025.
The Venetian played a key role in the development of the Cotai Strip, catering to mainland China’s elite.
The High Court’s decision may lead to the withdrawal of credit lines for VIP players from Singapore, as collecting debts after their departure from Macau is unenforceable.
In 2025, Macau received over 40 million visitors, mainly from mainland China, while only 7% were international tourists.
Macau’s Statistics and Census Bureau reported 117,165 arrivals from Singapore in 2025, a 1.7% decrease from the previous year.