Venetian Macau sues 2 gamblers over $4.5M in debts

(AP) U.S. billionaire Sheldon Adelson's flagship Macau casino is suing two mainland Chinese high-rollers over gambling debts worth millions.

The Venetian Macau took legal action in a Hong Kong court this week to recover about $4.5 million in the two separate cases.

In one, the Venetian is trying to recover 23.4 billion Hong Kong dollars ($3 million) from Zou Yunyu, who Forbes estimated in 2008 was worth $302 million.

In the second case, the Venetian is pursuing HK$11.3 million ($1.5 million) from Xie Xiaoqing, who Hong Kong media reports said Friday was a Chinese provincial government official.

Macau's rise as the world's top gambling market has been powered by wealthy mainland Chinese gamblers. But the lawsuits highlight the difficulties in collecting debts if they return to China.