Published on: October 25, 2025, 11:08h.
Updated on: October 25, 2025, 11:08h.
- Mayfair casino seeks to recover £4 million in gambling credit.
- Sheikh Hassan Enany accused of evading high-stakes debt at London casino.
- Les Ambassadeurs’ legal action highlights tension in VIP gambling sector.
Les Ambassadeurs Casino in London, known for its association with the elite and glamorous, has initiated legal proceedings against wealthy Saudi sheikh Hassan Enany over an unpaid gambling credit amounting to £4 million (approximately US$5.3 million).
The prestigious venue claims that Sheikh Hassan Enany, who presents himself as a philanthropist and businessman, has failed to repay a line of credit obtained during a gambling session in 2018, as reported by The Daily Mail.
Commonly referred to as “Les A.” by its elite patrons, the casino managed to recover £200,000 (about US$266,000) after the sheikh’s initial payment bounced, but has received no further payments since, and he has been notably absent from the establishment—which demands over $30,000 annually for exclusive membership.
Bond’s Casino
The casino secured a judicial ruling against Enany in 2021. As reported by The Mail, the case is set to return to the UK High Court in early November 2025 in an effort to enforce or extend that prior ruling.
Les A. is famously recognized as the backdrop for the opening scene of the first James Bond film, “Dr. No.” It is here that the iconic introduction, “Bond, James Bond,” is famously delivered by a dapper Sean Connery at the chemin de fer tables.
At 82 years old, Sheikh Enany, a former diplomat in London, has been a member of Les Ambassadeurs since the 1990s. His company’s website claims he has made significant contributions towards the national development of Saudi Arabia, including financing the Mosque of Hassan Enany in Jeddah.
Enany is identified on the yacht tracking site SuperYachtFan as the owner of the 200-foot yacht “Il Vagabondo,” valued at £15 million (around US$20 million). He also possesses a luxurious palace in Marbella, Spain, bolstering the casino’s assertion that he has ample resources to clear the debt.
Aggressive Collection Practices
Les Ambassadeurs has a track record of vigorously pursuing debts from hesitant sheikhs and defaulting billionaires.
In 2020, the casino obtained a similar judgment against Sheikh Salah Hamdan Albluewi, another Saudi national, for an unpaid sum of £2 million (approximately US$2.6 million), but the High Court declined its request to freeze his UK assets.
In 2021, Les A. secured a judgment exceeding £10 million (approximately US$13.3 million) against Chinese billionaire Songbo Yu and sought a global asset freeze, which was also denied.
With London’s high-stakes gaming market currently facing challenges, it’s clear why Les A. is determined to recover these debts via the courts—Enany’s disputed £4 million represents roughly 10% of the club’s projected annual revenue for 2024, based on data from Endole.