The wife of Oman's foreign minister is suing a high-class London casino for losing money. Nora Al-Daher lost nearly $3.5-million in London's exclusive The Ritz hotel. She blew the cash in a few hours and then blamed casino staff for not stopping her. The 50-year-old multi-millionaire insisted it was the casino's fault that she lost as they knew she had a gambling problem. She told the judge in court: "I needed someone that night to tell me to stop playing and bring me to my senses. If I had been told to stop, of course I would have done so immediately, but no one ever told me."

Ms Al-Daher said she arrived at The Ritz that evening already having lost a "significant" amount of money at other casinos. The Ritz sued Ms Al-Daher for almost $1.5 million after her cheques were not honoured. Al-Daher said she realised she was a gambling addict in 1999. She lost more than $10 million at The Ritz over the next three years. Her lawyer said casino staff urged her to lose money, saying: "Staff positively encouraged her when she was losing, saying, 'Anything for you….We trust you. No problem. Relax. Don't worry…The next time you will get your money back'."