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A pathological gambler has failed in his bid to sue Melbourne's Crown Casino for millions of dollars he lost there.
Gold Coast property developer Harry Kakavas lost $30 million during the 15 month, $1.5 billion gambling spree in 2005-2006.
Kakavas was suing Crown Casino, its chief executive Rowen Craigie and its chief operating officer John Williams in the Victorian Supreme Court for more than $20 million.
He argued that the casino had preyed on his gambling addiction.
Justice David Harper ruled today that the casino did not prey on Kakavas.
He said while the casino provided Kakavas with inducements, it was not outside the grounds of what is acceptable.
Justice Harper ordered Kakavas pay Crown $1 million which he borrowed from the casino during his time gambling there.
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James Packer authorised cash gifts
Cash payments of $30,000 and $50,000 -- authorised by James Packer but kept secret from his father Kerry -- were occasionally left in gift boxes inside the Crown jet when it picket up Kakavas at Coolangatta airport, just to "get him started", the court had heard.
Kakavas was suing Crown Casino, its chief executive Rowen Craigie and its chief operating officer John Williams for more than $20 million.
Kakavas's barrister Allan Myers QC had alleged that casino executives had developed "a scheme to lure" the Gold Coast gambler back to their casino after they discovered he lost between $3 million and $4 million on a short trip to Las Vegas in 2004.
The court heard that casino executives were aware Kakavas, 42, had served jail time for fraud and had a separate charge of armed robbery dropped.
Despite this, they were happy to fly him to the Philippines in the casino's Lear jet on two occasions, and provide him with free accommodation at Crown Towers under the pseudonym "Harry Kay".
Executive didn't care about ban
In a secretly recorded conversation with Kakavas, senior executive Richard Doggert allegedly said he "didn't give a monkey's" that the NSW Police Commissioner placed an exclusion order on Kakavas in 2000 preventing him from entering Star City Casino in Sydney.
Between June 2005 and August 2006, Kakavas turned over almost $1.5billion at Crown's baccarat tables.
His total losses reached upward of $30 million.
The casino had denied executives targeted Kakavas.
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