Wife of Omani Politician Loses London Casino Court Case

Wife of Omani Politician Loses London Casino Court Case

Tuesday, 19 August 2014

First it was Phil Ivey who fell foul of London's punto banco tables, now it's the wife of Oman's Foreign Minister, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Al-Busaidi.

Nora Al-Daher sued The Ritz casino after losing £2 million playing the same game.

Al-Daher claimed that she was "taken advantage" of and put at an unfair disadvantage.

In a statement to court, Mrs. Al-Daher said:
"I needed someone that night to tell me to stop playing and bring me to my senses. If I had been told to stop, of course I would stop immediately. No one ever told me to stop or think about my gambling."

However, in defence, The Ritz claimed that Mrs. Al-Daher had already lost a lot of money before entering its casino. Moreover, the high-end establishment denied it coerced the Omani woman into playing punto banco.

Despite wagering more that £20 million in the last nine years at the London casino, Mrs. Al-Daher claims that various members of staff pushed her in gambling beyond her means by saying: "anything for you, Princess Nora...we trust you...no problem...relax...don't worry...next time you will get your money back."

Unfortunately for Mrs. Al-Daher, the Judge was unsympathetic and saw no evidence why she shouldn't have to pay the casino the remaining £1 million she owed.



Tags: Ritz Casino