Bellagio files suit against high-roller

Tuesday, May 25, 1999 | 12:22 p.m.

The Bellagio hotel-casino filed a lawsuit against a high-roller who on the resort's opening weekend it says received $685,000 in credit at the baccarat tables and allegedly has not paid it back.

The resort filed the suit Monday in District Court seeking to recover the money that was loaned through five markers issued from Oct. 17-19, 1998, to Hui Yeh, 57, of both Los Altos, Calif., and Taipei.

The resort claims that no part of the principal or interest has been paid.

The resort is seeking the loaned money, plus 18 percent interest and attorney fees.

In recent years, Strip casinos have directed marketing efforts toward Asia, as wealthy gamblers from those countries come to Las Vegas and wager astronomical amounts at baccarat and other games. Such high-stakes gambling often is done on lines of credit.

Yeh "received good and valuable consideration," the suit says, noting that Yeh, who claimed on a Bellagio form to be the honorary chairman of Tah-Hsin Securities, was given "an approved credit limit" of $1 million at the posh resort that opened the night before he arrived. That form was made part of the suit.

The Bellagio said in its suit that the markers Yeh received were "evidencing a gaming debt." Each of the markers listed a code for the game he played as "BC" -- baccarat.

The suit did not say whether Yeh is alleged to have gambled away the entire amount or whether he wagered some of it, turned in the unwagered chips -- or additional chips that he might have won on bets -- and pocketed the cash.

The suit said the resort believes that Yeh is living in Los Altos. But, a Bellagio form listing his name, birth date and credit limit showed an address in Taipei, the non-communist Chinese island that used to be called Taiwan, which is located off the coast of mainland communist China.

A woman answering the phone at the Los Altos residence of Yeh said he was in Taipai and could not be reached for comment.

The Bellagio initially issued Yeh a marker for $350,000 at 2:47 a.m. on Oct. 17. Another $150,000 marker was issued at 7:13 a.m. that day. On Oct. 18, Yeh was issued markers for $50,000 at 3:48 a.m. and $35,000 at 2:43 p.m. On Oct. 19, the casino issued Yeh $100,000 at 4:14 a.m., the suit says.

In his credit application with the casino, Yeh listed the United World Chinese Operation Department as his bank. That company appears under his name on all of the markers, which were submitted as evidence in support of the lawsuit.