China Feared Sheldon Adelson Casinos Used by CIA to Snare Officials
A report, uncovered by the Investigative Reporting Program at the University of California, Berkeley, suggests the CIA was using Macau casinos, including those owned by billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, to entrap Chinese officials who may have been gambling with public money.
“Many of the (Chinese) officials we contacted were of the view that US intelligence agencies are very active in Macao and that they have penetrated and utilised the US casinos to support their operations,” the report states.
The investigation was commissioned by the Macau branch of Adelson’s own company, Sands China. The report, dated 25 June 2010 and marked with a warning that it was not to be introduced to mainland China, was uncovered by the Berkeley program.
“A reliable source has reported that central Chinese government officials firmly believe that Sands has permitted CIA/FBI agents to operate from within its facilities. These agents apparently ‘monitor mainland government officials’ who gamble in the casinos,” the report said, though it did not conclude that Adelson’s company was complicit in US intelligence activity, only that Chinese officials believed it.
“This source also reported that several PRC (Peoples Republic of China) government bodies have reported ‘evidence’ of ‘US agents’, operating from Sands, ‘luring’ and entrapping mainland government officials, involved in gaming, to force them to cooperate with US government interests.”
- Aaron Goldstein, Gambling911.com
