Abramovich Sucks at Poker?

Filed in archive Gambling and the Law on March 18, 2010

At least someone at Chelsea Football Club has had some success in the law courts. Multi billionaire owner Roman Abramovich was paid "a substantial" amount in damages and received an official apology at the High Court in London after he sued La Repubblica, an Italian socialist newspaper, for allegations they made in May last year.

They ran with the story that his gambling hobby had turned into an addiction, printing the false claims that he had lost a yacht worth half a million euros in a game of poker, and that his partner almost left him when he took to playing the game online.

Gambling addiction can hit all areas of society, but one wonders why La Repubblica thought that such a story, written about a very busy and wealthy business man, would be in any way believable. When challenged as to where the undisclosed amount of damages would be spent, Abramovich's lawyer said it would be going to charity.