Written by Kelli Smithgall

There has been ample attention given over the past few months regarding the social implications attributed by gambling addictions and that Casinos should be dutiful in putting a crimp on the habits of addicted gamblers without adding temptation.

40 year old multi-millionaire Harry Kakavas, Gold Coast Property Developer, confessed he was a gambling addict. He states that in the prime of his addiction during private room Baccarat games he was betting up to $300,000 a hand.

He previously brought a lawsuit against the Melbourne Crown Casino. His allegations are that John Williams, Chief Operating Officer of the Crown Casino conspired against him with enticements that resulted in Kakavas playing high stakes Baccarat and losing $30 Billion from June, 2005 through August, 2006. Mr. Kakavas also alleges he had himself banned in 1995 from the Crown Casino.

Kakavas asserts Mr. Williams arranged for him approximately thirty trips on the Casino’s private VIP jet and swags full of cash to cover him on any gambling losses with a twenty percent rebate. The Crown Casino insists they are not blameworthy of any claim against them. The Casino has to file their defense by March 12, 2008 prior to the start of the civil trial.

A somewhat precedence began today, December 13th, when Melbourne Supreme Court Justice David Harper ruled there are sufficient grounds that the Crown Casino may be in breach of the Victoria Commission Casino Control Act. An independent investigation is presumably going to be conducted by The Victoria Commission.

Justice Harper commented on his ruling by saying, "Looked at in the light of ordinary concepts of fair and just dealing, it is at least arguably wrong, morally and ethically, for a casino operator by conscious and deliberate policy to prey upon a patron known by the operator to be a compulsive gambler. For those reasons I have given, those allegations are sufficient to support an argument, which cannot be dismissed as fanciful, that a viable cause of action exists upon which the plaintiff is entitled to go to trial."

Justice Harper does feel Mr. Kakavas’ unconscionable conduct allegations would be indefensible and therefore needs to be stricken from his original statement. Kakavas has until February, 2008 to file his amended statement.

The Crown Casino insists they are not blameworthy of any claim against them. The Casino has to file their defense by March 12, 2008 prior to the start of the civil trial.


- 2007-12-13