Betfair Official Blog

Starved Of Roulette

MEET Ioan Seutiut. Right now Mr Seutiut is sat outside the casino in Deva, Romania.

He is not waiting for the doors to open on a mid-season sale, first in the queue to take advantage of the extra wild card in the pack. He is protesting. As the words on the placard before him declare: "Roulette hunger strike."

And it is good these words are written because Mr Seutiut cannot always be trusted to mind his language. At least this is what the casino operators allege as they have banned him for "swearing and shouting too loud".

Mr Seutiut is not an unreasonable man and says he will not eat or accept medical attention until he is allowed to play roulette in the casino again.

Says he: "I have a lot of money on me and I want to play it all on the roulette but they just don't let me.

"They say I swear and talk too loud but everybody shouts in there especially when losing. After all it's not a church, it's the roulette."

It's not church, he's right. In church you're encouraged to donate money. In the casino, you get chance a chance to win it.

But he cannot stay on a chair forever and plans to erect a tent, where he will remain until he is allowed to play or is given back the £6,000 money he lost gambling.

He goes on: "I love the roulette even though it cost me lots of money. But that's my problem and all I ask from this casino is to let me play. If not I will not leave this place."

One wonders how long Mr Seutiut can keep it up. And whether he can be reconciled with the casino and persuaded to put his time to good use. He could be the star attraction, dressing up as Romanian heroes, like say, Nadia Comăneci, Nicolae Ceauşescu or Dracula and get the punters in?

And don't worry about him biting you - he's on a hunger strike...