HONG KONG -- For years, casinos across the world prized one client type above all others: the Chinese high roller.
Over the last decade, no one did better than Macao's Alvin Chau at shepherding such "whales" from mainland China to VIP baccarat tables around the Asia-Pacific region where up to $1 million could be wagered in a single hand. This business of making travel and financial arrangements as a junket agent made Chau a billionaire.