Crown Casino Pays $15,000 in Fines for Harry Kakavas Incident

Crown Casino was fined $15,000 on March 12th, 2009 by the Victorian Commission for Gambling after handling chronic gaming addict Harry Kakavas $500,000 in total chips without any payment to continue playing at the baccarat tables at the Crown Casino. Mr. Harry Kakavas, who filed a lawsuit against the casino's officials for more than $50 million, was enjoying the baccarat tables of the Crystal Club located on the 29th floor of the establishment when his luck ran out.

In a direct violation of gambling laws that prohibit casinos from giving chips unless payment is given by the player, Crown Casino gave $500,000 in total chips to Kakavas to continue playing on the baccarat table. Officials gave Kakavas baccarat chips three times without Kakavas paying for it. A senior official of the casino who was handling the game, told the baccarat croupier to give Kakavas more chips immediately. Kakavas is a regular player at the Crystal Club.

The Victorian Commission records the issue on its website without directly Mr. Harry Kakavas and the amount involved in the issue. The gaming commission states that it has fined Crown Casino $15,000 because of the casino incident on March 18th, 2006, when a player was handed baccarat gambling chips without any form of payment in return. The report also states that the player continued to play on the baccarat tables using the baccarat chips and repaid the amount given out of winnings.

Harry Kakavas, who works as a property developer on the Gold Coast, lost $30 million on the baccarat tables of the Crown Casino in a fourteen month gambling binge that began in June 2005. Kakavas said that the officials of the Crown Casino conspired to attract him back to the facility despite knowing that he banned himself from the establishment in 1995.

Tuesday, April 07, 2009
John Palmer