A Chinese gambler is being hounded by a Melbourne casino after he lost nearly 50 million yuan ($7.4 million) over two debauched weeks in 2011.
James Packer, the billionaire owner of Crown Casino (and recent street brawler), began legal action in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Friday to take back his millions from high roller Zhao Li, who Packer alleges has neglected to pay back the money he gambled away.
Prosecution lawyers are seeking reparations of nearly 40.8 million yuan (US$6.5 million) in gambling debt, plus 5.8 million yuan (US$937,000) in interests and feeds.
Court documents state that the casino gave Zhao a 35 million yuan (US$5.63 million) line of credit in July 2011, with the agreement that it would be paid back within 20 days.
This credit limit was later upped by millions of dollar after Zhao began his two-week splurge on October 19 of the same year, with an eventual cap of 75.9 million yuan (US$12.1 million) on October 31 under the condition that it would be paid back on the same day.
The following day, the gambler requested 50 million yuan (US$7.4 million) million in credit. It is unknown what game(s) he was playing, but the Chinese national reportedly ended the day owing the casino a total 40.3 million yuan (US$6.4 million).
Zhao acknowledged his debt by signing five credit markets with the amount owed between October 19 and November 11, the court said.
However, Crown Casino's lawyers say he has not paid the debt despite "repeated requests", contradicting the behaviour of most gambling addicts who are known for their reliability and honesty.
Court documents say Zhao is "ordinarily a resident of China", but states he also lives in a property in the Melbourne suburb of Balwyn North.
According to gambling expert Dr Sudhir Kale, 64 percent of players on Crown Casino's main floor are Chinese, most likely due to the fact that gambling is illegal in their home country.
[Image: Crown Casino in Melbourne. Via Alamy]
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