Property Billionaire Phillip Dong Fang Lee Sues Star Casino for $57M Losses
Posted on: September 1, 2025, 03:09h.
Last updated on: September 1, 2025, 03:09h.
- Property developer claims casino exploited gambling addiction and poor English
- Lawsuit alleges $57M losses from deceptive credit extensions
- Star faces scrutiny after past compliance and licensing failures
A billionaire property developer who was one of The Star Sydney’s biggest gamblers is now suing the Australia venue for A$57 million in losses.
Chinese-born Phillip Dong Fang Lee claims Star executives exploited his addiction and his inability to read English while he blew through tens of millions at the baccarat tables.
Lee alleges he was misled into signing documents he did not understand, which extended credit to fuel his gambling, according to court filings reported by The Australian.
Wagered Over $2.25B
Lee’s name first surfaced as a big spender at the venue back in 2022 during an investigation commissioned by the New South Wales government into operator Star Entertainment’s compliance failures.
The 2022 review found Lee had purchased billions of dollars in chips at the Star over nearly two decades. While losses amounted to A$57 million (US$37 million), he had wagered more than A$2.25 billion (US$1.5 billion) at the baccarat tables.
Lee was also identified as the largest user of The Star’s banned “China UnionPay process,” a system that let patrons disguise gambling transactions as hotel expenses to sidestep Chinese currency controls. Between 2007 and 2021, Lee moved at least A$100 million (US$66 million) through the scheme, according to evidence presented to the inquiry.
Internal emails showed casino staff raised concerns as early as 2015 that Lee’s UnionPay spending was outpacing his gambling activity – a red flag for money laundering, although Lee has not been accused of any such impropriety.
Regulators later concluded Star Entertainment failed to act on anti-money laundering protocols and prioritized revenue from high-rolling clients over compliance obligations.
‘Pathological Addiction’
Lee’s lawsuit claims he suffers from a “pathological addiction” that prevented him from walking away from the gaming tables. Star managers were aware of his compulsive gambling but still courted him, providing credit, private rooms, and hospitality benefits, per the lawsuit.
Because of his poor English, Lee claims he believed the documents he was asked to sign were acknowledgments of chip deliveries rather than cheques payable to the casino. His lawyers argue casino management was taking advantage of his gambling problem and poor language skills.
The Star has not publicly responded to the litigation, according to The Australian. The company was declared unfit to hold a casino license in 2022 after a string of revelations about money laundering, junket operators, and poor corporate governance. Since its license was suspended, it has been operating under the supervision of a government-appointed manager.
Lee’s representatives said any proceeds from the case would be donated to problem gambling charities.
Last Comments ( 4 )
Crafty devil
Just another Addict trying to Blame Everyone but Himself!
I’m sure there would’ve been a Chinese interpreter during his time there. The Star isn’t short of people who speak both Mandarin and Cantonese. I call bullshit on that.
20 yrs No English ha ha