Mac cashed $465k, lost $263k in 45 gambling days

(CNS): The crown prosecutor revealed Wednesday that the former Cayman Islands premier had taken cash advances on his own as well as his government credit cards totalling more than $465,000 over some 45 days of gambling between July 2009 and April 2010 while on overseas trips. As the crown closed its case against McKeeva Bush for abusing his office when he took cash advances on the government card to play slot machines in casinos, the attorney highlighted the quantity of cash he was taking from cards to feed into slot machines. During the time in question Bush had a net loss, according to casino records, of more than half that money, losing over $260k to the machines.

As Duncan Penny QC summed up the admissions and agreed evidence between the crown and Bush’s defence lawyers, he pointed to the substantial losses the premier incurred during his gambling sessions across the time when he is accused of misusing the government card. The period includes around 45 days, during the various trips, that Bush spent in casinos between the meetings and other government business, several odd personal days and a week’s vacation in Vegas.

Penny highlighted the speed by which Bush was losing and in some cases winning money when he directed the jury to details in the documents that have been submitted as evidence.

He indicated that Bush’s loyalty cards revealed that on one occasionat a casino in Florida in 11 minutes the premier fed in $3,175 into a slot machine and received over $4,000 back in a short winning streak. However, on another occasion in just four minutes the former premier of the Cayman Islands fed in some $2,350 but received just $1,480 back, leaving him over $700 out of pocket in less than five minutes.

Going through the documentation that recorded Bush’s time sitting at the slots as well as his ATM cash withdrawals and direct cash advances on the casino floor, the attorney pointed to the losses Bush sustained. Penny said Bush’s net loss during this time was almost $264,000, averaging more than $5,800 for each day that he gambled.