A London casino chasing USD 14 million in cheques bounced by a high-rolling Middle Eastern gambler has lost an attempt to recover the money from an Arab bank. Grosvenor Casinos, owner of the Clermont Club, sued the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) in an attempt to recover debts owed by gambler called Ahmed al-Reyaysa. Ahmed al-Reyaysa is known on London’s gambling circuit, and is said to have gambled USD 199 million in 18 months.

Grosvenor Casinos is overhauling its marketing strategy in a bid to engage new customers, following the change in gambling laws. The casino has appointed Stream to handle its direct marketing account for its Grosvenor and G Casino brands, following a three-way pitch. The agency will be tasked with overhauling the customer visit frequency programme, working across all areas of customer retention including email, direct mail and SMS campaigns.

A new casino for Fountainbridge, which has been turned down by councillors three times, has finally been given the go-ahead after a costly court battle. Grosvenor Casinos appealed to the sheriff court after being consistently refused permission for the GBP 17 million complex on the site of the former Mecca Bingo Hall and Palais de Danse. Last week, Sheriff Gordon Liddle condemned licensing chiefs for rejecting the original application and ordered the city council to pay the legal bill, thought to be around GBP 50,000.