Alvin Chau, who helped transform Macau into the world’s richest gambling center, had denied all the charges against him. MACAU—A tycoon in the Chinese casino enclave of Macau was sentenced to 18 years in prison Wednesday after a court found him guilty of heading a criminal syndicate that ran massive under-the-table betting operations across the city’s casinos. Alvin Chau , a flamboyant industry figure who helped transform Macau into the world’s richest gambling center by luring high rollers from mainland China over the past two decades, was convicted of more than 150 counts after a high-profile, monthslong trial. The case came as China is stepping up efforts to clean up the city’s reputation and make it less reliant on gambling revenues.

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