Gamblers who cannot deal with their loss
Some Players in the casino will not accept defeat
Those who end a gambling session with a loss do not, as a rule, walk out of the casino with a smile on their face. Fortunately, most gamblers can at least keep a cool head after playing their bankroll.
However, plenty of gamblers have a hard time keeping their emotions under control after a loss. Even gamblers have gone more or less crazy after losing big on gambling.
The consequences range from lawsuits to murder. After losing at the casino, some gamblers now live in disgrace because of their misdeeds. A few have not even survived. This article looks at some high-profile cases where people have gone completely crazy after losing.
Jack McCall
Jack McCall was working at a gold mining camp outside the town of Deadwood in South Dakota. On August 1, 1876, McCall got intoxicated at the local saloon. As a result, he lost a large sum of money during a poker game against “Wild Bill” Hickok. However, wild Bill showed himself a gentleman and offered to lend McCall some cash and pay for his breakfast. McCall reluctantly accepted and was also offended by the offer.
The next day, poker was played again in the saloon but without McCall. Hickok usually sat against the wall to better protect himself from enemies. On this day, however, that spot was not free, so he did not see McCall coming when he shot him in the back of the head from behind. Hickok was instantly dead, and McCall made a failed attempt to escape.
He was arrested and tried for murder in the mining camp. McCall argued that he was justified in his action because Wild Bill had killed his brother. The jury believed him and found him not guilty. People involved in the case had their doubts about the verdict. Some also doubted the validity of the mine camp court. Nevertheless, McCall was a free man for a time.
However, he was arrested again in Wyoming after someone overheard him bragging about the murder of Wild Bill. McCall was taken to a federal courtroom in Yankton for a new trial. This time he was found guilty of murder. Three months later, he was hanged at the age of 24.
Terrance Watanabe
A man who made his fortune as CEO of Oriental Trading. He bought this company in 1977 and built it into a multi-million dollar company. Then, in 2000, Watanabe decided to retire and sell his majority stake in Oriental Trading. Until then, the Japanese-American businessman had been wholly focused on his company.
With hundreds of millions of dollars in his account, he decided to enjoy life. For Watanabe, this fun all began at the casino. He spent weeks at various casino resorts in Las Vegas. Watanabe participated in everything during these visits. From drugs to casino games, nothing was too much for him.
Unlike many high rollers, he made no distinction between the types of games he played. Watanabe was even willing to play high-stakes slot machines and Keno, which have very high house benefits.
However, he did not do very well on the casino floor. In 2017 alone, he lost $120,000,000. Watanabe soon blew through the fortune he made as head of Oriental Trading. His troubles came to a head when he was sued by Caesars Palace. He was accused of writing fraudulent checks worth over $14,000,000.
He fought back with a countersuit blaming Caesars Palace for allowing him to use drugs on their property. The Nevada Gaming Commission fined the casino $225,000 after hearing these allegations. However, this fine did not absolve Watanabe of his debts. He still had to reach a settlement with Caesars Palace for an undisclosed amount.
Safa Abdulla Al Geabury
Safa Abdulla Al Geabury was a collector best known for his remarkable Islamic art collection. This was estimated to be worth $1 billion. During a visit to London’s prestigious Ritz casino, he lost a whopping $2,200,000.
However, he played on credit, which was entirely customary. Any losses would be paid by the billionaire to the casino later. Al Geabury, however, decided that he would not pay the loss. Instead, he argued that the Ritz was abusing his gambling habit and that he was not responsible for the losses.
However, the Swiss businessman had signed a document before he started playing stating that his gambling problem was under control. The Ritz Club used this document during the casino’s lawsuit against the businessman.
The judge also found that Al Geabury contradicted his own story and ordered Al Geabury to pay. However, the latter refused even after the judge’s ruling. He was ordered by the judge to return to the London courtroom and finish the case.
But the sore loser claimed that he could not pay for the trip from Switzerland to London. Finally, the judge decided that enough was enough and charged Al Geabury with contempt of court. As a result, he was sentenced to almost a year in prison.