River Rock Casino patron fails in bid to have B.C. judge remove lottery corp.'s restrictions
A River Rock Casino patron's attempt to overturn restrictions imposed by the B.C. Lottery Corp. due to suspected money laundering was dismissed by a judge.Summary
A patron of the River Rock Casino in Richmond, Ali Ghotaymi, sought a judicial review of the B.C. Lottery Corp.'s (BCLC) decision to place him under conditions requiring proof of funds for his cash buy-ins. Ghotaymi argued the restrictions unfairly stigmatized him as a money launderer. The BCLC implemented these measures following a public inquiry revealing widespread money laundering in B.C. casinos, particularly before 2015, where billions of dollars in cash transactions occurred. The judge ruled in favor of the BCLC, stating that requiring proof of funds, even for amounts under $10,000, was a reasonable measure to combat money laundering and was not overly burdensome. The court acknowledged Ghotaymi's winnings but noted his practice of using cash winnings for subsequent buy-ins could overlap with money laundering techniques, and an overinclusive approach was preferable to risking undetected illicit funds.
(Source：The Province)