'Blackout Drunk' Gambler Battles Casino In Court Over £600k Loss

Aspinall's Club Ltd. has filed a lawsuit against Lester Hui after he lost all of his money playing double chance baccarat there and refused to pay the obligation.

Mr Hui is strongly contesting the case, claiming the Casino encouraged him to gamble despite his alcohol intoxication and continued to give him Moutai.

Hui says, "staff deliberately failed to intervene so as to stop him from gaming" and let him play on "so that through intoxication he would gamble large sums and so lose to the financial benefit of (Aspinall's)".

His attorneys contend that Aspinall's, which was established in the 1960s by playboy conservationist John Aspinall's, violated its "social responsibility" obligations under the terms of its gambling licence.

Aspinall's, on the other hand, is urging that he pay up, claiming that Mr Hui, pictured, was sober enough to make wise choices and even drove himself home afterwards. The club claims that Mr Hui's failure to settle a six-figure debt he accrued at the gaming tables on February 9, 2016, prompted the club to file a lawsuit.

Mr Hui enjoyed early wins at the Casino, but the High Court heard that his luck "fluctuated", and by the end of the night, he had racked up a total gaming loss of £600,000.

After the game ended, he signed off a check to the club for £589,724, representing his £600,000 spend minus money Aspinall's had previously owed him. But, when the club tried to deposit the check, it bounced.

Aspinall's claims that after attempting to settle Mr Hui's debt, the company eventually filed a claim for collection in September 2019. For contract violations and "dishonouring" a "bill of exchange" in the form of his check, the club is suing Mr Hui.

As a result of his "blackout intoxication" and subsequent "legal incapacity," Mr Hui claims that neither contract or check can be enforced. Alexander Robson, who spoke on behalf of the Casino, called his assertions absurd and unjustified. He emphasised the CCTV footage, claiming it revealed "no worries" about his behaviour.

Also, he "strongly disputed" Mr Hui's claims that he warned workers he was going to become drunk and that he wanted to stop losing money if it reached £30,000. The case is still open.

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