Recent media reports on possible illegal activities related to gambling in Richmond in the late 1990s reminded Richmond councillor Harold Steves of conversations he and other councillors had while in Hong Kong in 1998.
The councillors were there to explore the recent influx of Hongkongers to Richmond.
At the time, Steves said they were warned about apartment flipping, something still unheard of in Richmond. But they were also told, in casual conversations, about the type of gambling going on in Macau. He now realizes that gambling system may have already been at work in Richmond.
“Holy mackerel – they told us (in Hong Kong) this was happening,” Steves said. “We never put two and two together.”
Global News published stories this week about a woman who claims that back in 1998 she complained to managers at a casino in Richmond that there seemed to be illegal activities going on with large amounts of $20s in bundles being delivered to gamblers.
This prompted Steves to tweet about the memories the Global News stories they invoked for him about casinos in Richmond.
Richmond Council was opposed to casino's in #RichmondBC. Council was warned about Macau-style money laundering & flipping of residential apartments when we visited Hong Kong in Nov. 1998. Little did we know that money laundering was already happening. https://t.co/NGDdVjleBB
— ClimateChange Steves (@Harold_Steves) May 1, 2019
When the casino opened in Richmond in 1987, the primary concern was gambling addiction, not money laundering and loan sharking, Steves said.
At the time, they heard stories of people gambling away their homes and assumed it was a result of gambling addictions. However, in light of recent reports, Steves wonders if it didn’t also have to do with money laundering and other illegal activity.
“Whether they were tied in with money laundering and that stuff, I have no idea, looking back now, they might have been,” Steves added.
Some Richmond council members, including Steves, had gone to Hong Kong in 1998. At that time, Richmond was receiving a lot of immigration from the former British colony that had recently been transferred back to Chinese control. The trip was to meet with people in Hong Kong and to find out why there was an influx to Richmond.
Steves explained that they met with the Democratic Party in Hong Kong and groups of wealthy locals. During dinner conversations and meetings, they were warned about flipping of real estate – apartments - something quite common in Hong Kong. They were also told about Macau gambling, but not necessarily as a warning.
“We couldn’t imagine it happening here,” Steves said. “And yet what we’re finding through (reporter Sam Cooper) is it was (allegedly) happening at exactly the same time.”
In 1997, the NDP government had raised the bet limits from $25 to $500.
The Global article explains how this employee and other staff alleged gamblers came in with loan sharks affiliated with gangs.
The Richmond Casino opened in 1987 and, in 2004, when River Rock Casino Resort opened at the former Bridgeport Market site, its license and the license from Vancouver’s Renaissance Casino were transferred there.
