A legal battle is underway as a high-stakes gambler is suing a Mayfair casino, Aspinalls, after losing a staggering £3.9 million in a 72-hour card game. Lim Han Joeh, a 62-year-old Malaysian tycoon, alleges that the casino failed in its responsibility to intervene and halt his losing streak. Han Joeh Lim claims that Aspinalls violated the obligations outlined in the 2005 Gambling Act.
Han Joeh Lim, reported to be worth £40 million, has business interests in property, steel, and computer chip manufacturing. He joined Aspinalls in 2014 and was initially allowed to cash cheques up to £600,000. However, as he lost that amount, the casino increased his credit to £1.9 million and then allowed him another £2 million in credit, all of which he lost.
The marathon card game, double chance baccarat, reminiscent of James Bond’s exploits in Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale, took place in 2015. Han Joeh Lim played for 72 hours with limited breaks, according to a High Court writ. Four years later, Aspinalls successfully won a case against him for the unpaid losses.
During that case, Mr. Justice Murray found Han Joeh Lim in contempt of court for breaching four court orders and imposed a £100,000 fine. The judge also stated that Mr. Lim had given “deliberately dishonest oral evidence during the hearing.”
Now, Han Joeh Lim is seeking to sue Aspinalls at the High Court in London to recoup his £3.9 million losses. He argues that any debts or loans should be considered null and void because Aspinalls breached its duty under the Gambling Act 2005, which is designed to protect vulnerable individuals from being harmed or exploited by gambling.
Han Joeh Lim’s writ asserts that instead of encouraging him to stop and rest, Aspinalls further increased his credit to £2 million. He claims that Aspinalls took advantage of his distressed state and allowed him additional funds and more time to gamble, despite his visibly desperate and panicked state.
In response to the lawsuit, Aspinalls has stated that it is defending the matter and is seeking to have the claim struck out. The exclusive club has refrained from further comment, awaiting the court’s decision on the case.
Aspinalls, an exclusive club founded by gambling and society figure John Aspinall in 1962, is situated on the former site of the White Elephant Club. In its entrance, one can find a model of a large white elephant alongside a bust of the fugitive 7th Earl of Lucan, a close friend of Aspinall, who disappeared in 1974 following the murder of his children’s nanny, Sandra Rivett.
James Bond creator Ian Fleming famously devoted 25 pages of his novel Casino Royale to a detailed description of 007 playing double chance baccarat.
lim han joeh gambling
