London's Crown Aspinalls Resorts to Forceful Measures to Recover Over $720,000 Outstanding Debt
Why Crown London Aspinalls is taking high-roller Lester Hui to court
Crown London Aspinalls is pursuing one of its top gamblers, Lester Hui, for failing to repay a staggering £600,000 ($730,000) gambling debt accrued on February 9, 2016. Despite numerous attempts, Hui has shown no signs of honoring his debt obligations, prompting the luxury property to take legal action.
Hui's Legal Defense Against Crown London Aspinalls
Aspinalls claims that Hui wrote a check they could not cash, leading to their pursuit of repayment. However, Hui is not backing down. He accused Aspinalls of breaching their license issued by the UK Gambling Commission.
Hui’s legal team alleges that Aspinalls intentionally got him drunk throughout the night while he was engaged in double chance baccarat, pushing him further into debt. The drink served repeatedly to Hui, the attorneys contend, was Moutai, a popular choice among Chinese drinkers.
The casino, Hui's team argues, went to great lengths to ensure Hui's intoxication and subsequent poor judgement. Despite his condition, the attorneys claim, the casino made no attempt to intervene or stop Hui from gambling. They describe his state of mind as "out of it" and "blackout drunk."
The casino insists that these allegations are unfounded. Furthermore, Hui has asserted that he capped his potential losses at £30,000 ($36,000), a claim the casino denies.
Possible Breach of New Gambling Commission Rules, but No Evidence of Old
Aspinalls has faced legal troubles in the past, losing a lawsuit over racial discrimination against an employee due to customer abuse towards dealers of color. Although the present case continues, Aspinalls denies any wrongdoing.
In recent developments, the UK Gambling Commission issued new guidelines in September 2022, emphasizing casinos' responsibility to intervene when they suspect a gambler is acting irrationally, lacks capacity to make informed decisions, or is clearly playing beyond their means. Although Aspinalls may have been slow to act in 2016, it appears they were not blatantly flouting these rules at the time.
However, it is essential to note that the available information does not definitively determine whether Aspinalls violated the UK Gambling Commission's social responsibility rules in the context of Lester Hui's case. Confirmation of such a violation would require official statements from the UK Gambling Commission or relevant legal proceedings.
- Lester Hui is being sued by Crown London Aspinalls for a gambling debt of £600,000 ($730,000) allegedly accrued in February 9, 2016.
- Hui's legal team claims that Aspinalls intentionally made him drunk to push him further into debt, serving him Moutai, a popular choice among Chinese drinkers.
- The attorneys allege that Aspinalls ignored Hui's condition, allowing him to continue gambling despite being in a state of "out of it" and "blackout drunk."
- The casino denies these allegations, also contradicting Hui's claim of capping his potential losses at £30,000 ($36,000).
- Aspinalls has faced legal troubles in the past over racial discrimination, but denies any wrongdoing in the current case.
- Recently, the UK Gambling Commission issued new guidelines emphasizing casinos' responsibility to intervene when gamblers are acting irrationally or playing beyond their means.
- It is not yet clear whether Aspinalls violated the UK Gambling Commission's social responsibility rules in Lester Hui's case, as the available information does not provide a definitive answer.
- This case involving Lester Hui and Crown London Aspinalls is a notable example of casino-related news, especially in terms of gambling trends, casino-culture, and crime-and-justice.
- The ongoing dispute also touches on the topic of responsible gambling, as questions are raised about the extent to which casinos should protect their patrons from excessive gambling and potential losses.
