Londons oldest casino refuses to pay out £7.3m poker win

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Britain's oldest casino is investigating a £7.3 million win by the world’s top poker player – and is refusing to pay him a penny.

Crockfords, the exclusive Mayfair gaming club, has informed the Gambling Commission that it is withholding Phil Ivey’s payout.

A source with close knowledge of the dispute described the situation as unprecedented.

Accompanied by a ‘beautiful Oriental woman’, Mr Ivey, a 35-year-old Californian, was playing Punto Banco, which is a skill-free variant of baccarat, when he struck a remarkable winning streak.

The 184-year-old casino initially agreed to transfer the winnings to his bank account, but six weeks on it has returned only his £1 million stake.

Instead it began an exhaustive inquiry.

Staff, including the female croupier, were interviewed at length amid fears there may have been some form of collusion.

This is thought to have been ruled out.

While it is unclear what, if anything, Mr Ivey has been accused of, lawyers for both sides are said to be engaged in an increasingly tense stand-off. It is not thought that police have been alerted.