MACAO -- Macao's junkets king Alvin Chau was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Wednesday after being found guilty of running a criminal empire that the city claimed had cheated it out of about $1 billion in tax revenue.

The verdict wrapped up Macao's highest-profile trial in years. Chau's 2021 arrest on allegations of illegal gambling, money laundering and fraud sent a chill through the gambling hub and pounded the lucrative junkets sector, which arranged travel and credit for high-stakes gamblers, mostly from mainland China.