Atlantis Paradise Island Officials Files Case Against Harry Kakavas for Baccarat Gambling Spree

High Stakes problem gamer Harry Kakavas was given $1 million by a casino in the Bahamas despite knowing that he owed $5 million to casino facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada, a court has heard on November 17th, 2009.

The Victorian Supreme Court was told that an online search showing Kakavas had sold his home on the Gold Coast's Hedges Avenue for a record $18 million allayed any second thoughts management at Atlantis Paradise Island Casino had about the state of his finances. It was then decided that Mr. Kakavas should be permitted a $1 million credit line when he visited the facility during his November 2006 honeymoon in the Bahamas.

Kakavas blew his credit line and more than $600,000 of his own cash in a four hour gambling spree worth $1.6 million at his favourite baccarat table at the Paradise Island Casino. The facility is suing Kakavas, hoping to recoup the $1 million and $13,300 in commissions. Attorneys for Kakavas argue that the gaming facility took advantage of his gambling addiction. The lawyers also argue that the agreement under which Kakavas was lent the cash is unenforceable.

The lawsuit comes as Kakavas awaits a decision in a separate case in the same court where he has filed a case against the Crown Casino in Melbourne for allegedly permitting him to play at the casino's baccarat tables despite knowing that he was pathological gambler. He lost a total of $30 million during a $1.5 billion gambling spree playing at Crown Casino's baccarat tables between June 2005 and August 2006.

The Victorian court heard that Kakavas spent an average of $43,500 per card hand during his four day gambling spree at the Bahamas Casino. But casino officials did not think that he was a chronic problem gambler. The senior vice president of casino operations and marketing, Richard Waters, said that Kakavas' gambling patterns and behaviour were no different to any VIP.

Waters told the court via a video link from the Bahamas that problem gambling on a single trip basis is very difficult to comprehend. He said that Kakavas is not behaving differently from other high rollers and the casino supervisor will have difficulty spotting that he is a gambling addict from that situation.

Waters said that the credit check was made on Kakavas a few days before he arrived in the country even though Kakavas said that he was not interested in playing on his honeymoon. The credit check showed that he owed money to several casinos in Las Vegas.

But Waters said that the credits were less than ninety days old, the time given to VIP's to repay their credit line. The credit check also showed that he had paid back $4.5 million to the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Monday, December 07, 2009
John Palmer