The Casino du Liban. (Credit: AFP archive photo.)
BEIRUT — Casino du Liban CEO Roland Khoury was placed in provisional detention on Wednesday as part of an ongoing investigation into illegal online gambling.
Acting financial prosecutor Dora al-Khazen made the decision in the early hours of Wednesday, following what one source described as "a long day of investigation." The move comes nearly two weeks after the case was first made public. The information was confirmed to L’Orient-Le Jour by two sources — one at the Beirut courthouse and another at Casino du Liban — both of whom requested anonymity.
The investigation led by acting financial prosecutor Khazen into illegal online gambling remains confidential, with the next steps expected soon.
Khazen, who specializes in money laundering and tax fraud, is likely to refer the case to investigating judge Nicolas Mansour at the Court of Appeal of Mount Lebanon. By law, provisional detention ordered by the prosecutor can last up to four days.
On Friday, Khazen issued a travel ban against Khoury, who had just returned from a trip abroad. It's unclear whether the travel ban shortened his stay. During a State Security raid on June 18 at the Casino’s Maameltein premises, Khoury was interrogated and reportedly answered all agents’ questions, according to an internal source at the Casino.
At least ten people have been arrested so far, including owners of online gambling “houses” mainly located in Kesrouan, Metn, and the northern suburbs of Beirut. These establishments have been shut down.
Casino du Liban holds the exclusive online gambling license in Lebanon — first for horse racing, then for games like blackjack, roulette, baccarat, poker, and sports betting — operated through the Betarabia platform. In 2022, the Casino signed a four-year contract with OSS (Onlive Support Services) to manage this platform. Last week, a source close to the case told L’Orient-Le Jour that OSS allegedly used this legal cover to fuel a large black market, collecting commissions from illegal gambling activities.
The black market for online gambling has grown rapidly on multiple sites, handling millions of undeclared dollars in Lebanon. Last year, the CEO of Casino du Liban himself warned about the spread of illegal gambling sites, while stressing ongoing cooperation between the Casino, security forces, and the justice system. He also noted the difficulty of enforcement: “As soon as one site is shut down, another almost instantly appears,” he said.
Meanwhile, Parliament is currently drafting a law to regulate the online gambling sector.
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