Millionaire property developer Harry Kakavas (42) has lost his Supreme Court action to recoup $35 million of losses stemming from his Crown Casino gambling misadventures between June 2005 and August 2006.
Mr Kakavas, a diagnosed pathological gambler,claimed that the Casino took unfair advantage of his ‘illness’ by tempting him back to the Melbourne casino with a range of offers which included arranging free private jet travel with boxes containing up to $50,000 lucky gambling money onboard, a penthouse suite, and other monetary gambling enticements.
Despite Kakavas being subject to a self-imposed ban from all major Australian casinos, Crown staff had even made formal requets of him to sign a form to overturn his ban and when, after losing $35 million, Kakavas first signalled his intention to sue the casino he was optimistic about the outcome. A source close to him at the time commented:
“These bastards deliberately went after him. They knew he had a weakness and they seduced him. This is a volcano that is going to erupt and it could jeopardise Crown’s gaming licence.That’s why I doubt it will go to court.”
However, Justice David Harper has now dismissed Mr Kakavas’s civil claim stating that Crown Casino “could not be found guilty of taking overconscientious advantage of any disability that Mr Kakavas suffered”.
“The fact that Crown was seriously careless does not, however, constitute a basis for any of the claims made by Mr Kakavas.”
Mr Kakavas will now have to pay back $1 million in debts to the casino. Justice Harper did, however, note that Crown Casino was not blameless in the whole ordeal and brought into question the casino’s gambling ethics:
“Crown does not present itself as a world leader in responsible gambling. Its relationship with Mr Kakavas does not give one any confidence it deserves that status,” he said.
