A high roller claims he should not have to pay the almost £600,000 he gambled away because a casino got him ‘blackout drunk’.
Lester Hui lost the huge sum of money at Aspinall’s Curzon Street casino in Mayfair, London, in February 2016.
He signed a cheque for £589,724 but it bounced before Mr Hui argued he should not have to pay it at all.
He alleged staff plied him with Moutai – a strong Chinese liquor known as ‘firewater’- and then encouraged him to continue gambling, MailOnline reports.
Mr Hui also claims he started the evening by telling workers to cut him off at £30,000, because he planned to get drunk – but Aspinall’s Club Ltd denies this.
The company is now suing for breach of contract and ‘dishonouring a bill of exchange’.
Lawyers for the high-profile casino, which is only open to members, told the High Court Mr Hui was sober enough to make his own decisions.
They believe CCTV footage shows he was not too intoxicated and said he even drove himself home in the early hours of the next morning.
But Mr Hui’s attorneys are arguing the casino breached its ‘social responsibility’ commitments under its gambling licence.
They accuse staff of ‘deliberately failing to intervene’ for the company’s own financial benefit.
Aspinall’s is popular among celebrities, priding itself on being ‘synonymous with luxury and an exceptional gaming experience’.
Two years ago, club managers got into trouble for allowing dealer Semhar Tesfagiorgis, 41, to be the victim of racist jibes.
The case with Mr Hui continues.
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