London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 01, 2025

‘Blackout drunk’ gambler in court fight with casino over £600k loss

‘Blackout drunk’ gambler in court fight with casino over £600k loss

A high-rolling gambler is locked in a court fight with a Mayfair casino over claims that staff plied him with a Chinese liquor popularly known “firewater” until he was “blackout drunk” and lost £600,000.
Lester Hui is being sued by Aspinall’s Club Ltd after he blew the money playing double chance baccarat at its Curzon Street casino, then refused to settle the debt.

Mr Hui is vigorously defending the case, insisting the casino encouraged him to gamble despite him being too drunk to play, and continued to serve him the liquor, Moutai.

He claims 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 lawyers claim Aspinall’s — founded in the Sixties by playboy conservationist John Aspinall — breached its “social responsibility” commitments under its gambling licence.

However Aspinall’s is demanding he pays up, insisting Mr Hui, pictured, was sober enough to make clear decisions and even drove himself home afterwards. The club says it has been forced to go to court after Mr Hui failed to pay a six-figure debt he picked up on the gaming tables on February 9, 2016.

The High Court heard Mr Hui had early winnings but his luck then “fluctuated”, and by the end of the night he had incurred a total gaming loss of £600,000.

After play was finished, he signed off a cheque to the club for £589,724 — his £600,000 spend, less an amount previously owed to him by Aspinall’s — but the cheque bounced when the club tried to pay it in.

Aspinall’s says it had tried to resolve Mr Hui’s debt but finally launched its claim for recovery in September 2019. The club is suing Mr Hui for breach of contract and for “dishonouring” a “bill of exchange” in the form of his cheque.

But Mr Hui says no contract or cheque can be enforceable because he was “blackout drunk” and therefore “legally incapable”. Alexander Robson, for the casino, labelled his claims ridiculous and unfounded. He highlighted CCTV footage which he said showed “no concerns” about his conduct.

He also “strongly disputed” statements by Mr Hui that he told staff he was going to get drunk and so wished to cut his losses if they reached £30,000. The case continues.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
×