Casino Game Distributor Fined and Jailed

A MAN behind an online casino popular with gamblers was jailed for three months on Monday and fined $80,000. Cheh Back Hai, 59, was the local webmaster and chief salesman for an Internet gaming house whose software he peddled to shops across Singapore, a district court heard.

Cheh pleaded guilty to eight charges under the Common Gaming Houses Act, with 17 other counts taken into consideration. The crimes took place between place between August last year and May this year.

The investigation showed that Cheh was the main agent for JV8, an Internet casino. He sold the game's start-up software to 19 Housing Board shops and doled out user names and IDs to online gamblers. The game, which is played on home computers, made it onto machines in Bangkit Road, Tampines, Serangoon North, Pasir Panjang and Yishun, the court heard. A district court heard that he and another man were arrested in a bust by Gambling Suppression Branch officers at his Bukit Batok West Avenue 2 home on May 14.

Cash of $152,500 and exhibits relating to internet casino gambling were seized. and distributed the game by providing the line to 19 shops. In return, he would get a 5 per cent commission on the profits earned. He provided the addresses of the shops and follow-up raids were conducted. The casino games were played on computers by members of the public.

As the 'senior master agent', he supplied the user ID and password to download the game from the website into the computers at places such as Bangkit Road, Tampines, Serangoon North, Pasir Panjang and Yishun. He helped an unknown operator overseas to carry out the downloading of the casino games for gaming.

His lawyer, Mr R.S. Wijaya, said the father of three's limited education led him to believe that a Philippines licence was enough for him to operate here.Cheh, he added, was indeed a 'pawn' in the game for unscrupulous overseas operators who used him for their own gains and personal benefit. Counsel said Cheh had a 'frail' medical condition of coronary heart disease.

He said the amount seized by the police from a safe included some of his life-long savings but he was not claiming any of it. Cheh could have been fined between $5,000 and $50,000 and jailed up to three years on each of the eight charges.

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