Grosvenor Casinos in London has lost a claim against the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD). They were chasing more than £7 million in cheques bounced by a Middle Eastern high-rolling gambler, but courts have ruled that the bank is not responsible for the debts, which were racked up by Ahmed al-Reyaysa – a regular on the London gambling circuit, who apparently gambled around £99 million in just 18 months.
Mr Al-Reyaysa wrote two cheques from his NBAD account between December 1999 and February 200, one for £3.07 million, and the other for £3.6 million, to buy chips at the Clermont Club on Berkley Square in London. He lost the money in roulette games, and the cheques later bounced.
Grosvenor sued Mr Al-Reyaysa, and won a repayment order against him, but this order was unenforceable as he is now in the UAE, and beyond the jurisdiction of British courts.
The casino attempted to sue NBAD, saying that an employed had told its bank that it would honour the cheque, and that it was liable for Mr Al Reyaysa's debt as it had acted deceptively.
On March 17th a judge at the High Court in London dismissed the casinos claims, saying that the conversation between the casinos bank, Natwest, and Mr Al-Reyaysa's bank, NBAD, resulted in a misunderstanding, rather than deliberate deception, and that NBAD had no contractual relationship with the casino.
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