Odds That 17 Crown Casino Employees Go to Prison at 99 Percent

Seventeen employees of Crown Casino charged with promotion of illegal gambling in China are facing trial in a Shanghai district court Monday where the conviction rate is at 99 percent. 

Among those charged are three Australians, including Melbourne-based executive Jason O'Connor, Beijing-based international marketing director Jerry Xuan, and colleague Pan Dan.

Lawyers acting on behalf of the some of the clients have declined to detail the allegations, citing instructions from Crown not to speak to the media, according to ABC News Australia.

A verdict is unlikely for a number of weeks.

- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com