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A five-day gambling spree

The Park Lane Club casino in London is being sued by one of its high rollers. The plaintiff alleges the casino owes him commission fees after he gambled around £27m ($35.7m) at the property.

For the second time in two years, Canada’s largest private casino operator has unveiled plans for a casino complex in London, this time in the city’s south end. Gateway Casino and Entertainment.

Juste Puharic, a Croatian businessman, staked the money on roulette over the space of five days in May 2015. He claims he only spent the money after the casino offered him a cash-back offer which entitled him to a percentage of funds staked.

Puharic argues the cash-back offer entitles him to an additional £243,518

Although he won £1.5m ($1.99m), Puharic argues the cash-back offer entitles him to an additional £243,518 ($322,519), a sum that he never received. This represents 0.9% commission on his gambling stakes of £27,057,621 ($35,835,519).

Silverbond Enterprises Ltd, the company which owns the casino, has denied the claims. Speaking in London’s High Court, a representative of Silverbond said the casino did not single Puharic out as a high value player or offer him the cash-back deal.

London casino videos and latest news articles; GlobalNews.ca your source for the latest news on london casino. Filed Under: news Tagged With: casino, casinos, china, shopping mall, slot machine, slot machines Man assaults visitor of casino in London posted on October 9, 2020.

Details of the court case

Christopher Bamford, who is representing Puharic in the case, said Park Lane staff first approached the businessman on the street. He then joined the staff for coffee and dinner. The casino offered Puharic the cash-back deal in an attempt to match offers he received at other casinos.

The representative of Silverbond argued against this sequence of events. According to reports from The Daily Mail, the defense lawyer said the members of staff who approached Puharic had “not been particularly interested” in acquiring the businessman as a player. He also argued that a cash-back on stakes offer is not one the casino currently employs to attract potential bettors.

Judge Gavin Mansfield QC will provide his ruling on the case at a later date.

Silverbond’s recent GC troubles

Earlier this month, the UK Gambling Commission revoked Silverbond Enterprises’ license to operate the Park Lane Club casino. According to the regulatory body, it made the decision due to a “change in corporate control” within the company. The Commission said it would not have granted an operating license to the company had the change happened during the application process.

we are not satisfied as to the source of funds used to acquire and support the licensee”

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Commenting on the revocation, Helen Venn, executive director of the Commission, said: “We revoked the license because we are not satisfied as to the source of funds used to acquire and support the licensee at the time of the change of corporate control.”

She also said the owner has a history of failing to provide sufficient information when requested by the Commission.

Silverbond is reportedly challenging the Gambling Commission’s decision. The company will submit its appeal before November 18.

Gateway Casinos London

Despite casinos being included in Stage 3 of the province's reopening plan, Gateway Casinos London won't be opening its doors Monday.

Rob Mitchell, director of communications and public affairs with Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Ltd., confirmed in an email that they currently have no set time for reopening any Gateway locations.

On Monday, Premier Doug Ford unveiled plans for Stage 3, which would see gathering limits increase to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors starting this Friday.

Read more: Ontario reopening Stage 3: Gathering limit increasing as indoor dining, gyms permitted to reopen

Under Phase 3 of Ontario's reopening plan, casinos will be allowed to reopen with some restrictions. Both table games and buffets will not be permitted.

“We have developed extensive health and safety plans for each site, which includes two metres physical distancing, rigorous cleaning and sanitation measures and the mandatory use of masks or face coverings for all individuals entering our gaming sites,” Mitchell said in an email.

Before the casino can reopen, Mitchell said the plans need to be independently reviewed by a health and safety expert and submitted to the regulator, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

Read more: Coronavirus: London gyms and theatres ready for Stage 3 reopening

“We’re moving forward as a province, but we can’t stop. We won’t stop until we get every person in Ontario — until we get every worker in Ontario back to work and back on their feet. But today’s news is an important step forward,” Premier Doug Ford said during the announcement Monday.

Ford said the government will provide an update every Monday on regional reopenings.

Gateway Casino London News

Also reopening in Stage 3 are gyms, movie theatres, and playgrounds. Restaurants and bars are also allowed to open up inside in addition to the patios they were allowed to open in Stage 2.

Casino London News Reporter

Attractions like galleries, zoos, museums, performing arts venues will be able to reopen — again, with public health measures in place.

— With files from Ryan Rocca, Global News