In a country that has watched a whole population's savings evaporate with the collapse of its banking system, here is news that will mainly reassure the defendants: on 20 June 2026, the Mount Lebanon indictment chamber is said to have handed down a dismissal in the so-called Betarabia affair, which concerned the running of gaming at Casino du Liban.
According to the Lebanese press, the former director of Casino du Liban, Roland Khoury, and the CEO of Online Support Services (OSS), Jad Gharios, are said to have been cleared of the charges of misuse of public funds, money laundering and illicit enrichment. These proceedings had been brought by the financial prosecutor, who suspected irregularities in the performance of a gaming-management contract awarded to OSS.
A casino is the place that reminds the visitor the house always wins in the end. At Casino du Liban, the house being partly public, it was the taxpayer who was playing — and apparently no one cheated. Everything is perfectly above board: there are just no chips left in the till.
A gaming contract at the heart of the suspicions
Casino du Liban is no ordinary establishment: the state holds a stake in it, which makes its revenues — and any opacity around them — a matter of public money. It is precisely the delegation of gaming management to a private provider, OSS, that is said to have fed the financial prosecutor's suspicions: billings, flows and margins are said to have been combed through.
The indictment chamber is a second-tier investigating court: it can confirm a referral to a trial court… or find the charges insufficient and close the file. It is this second route that is said to have been taken. Nothing prevents, at this stage, a possible appeal or reopening if new evidence emerged.
“Online Support Services”: a company name so neutral you could call it anything, anywhere. Perhaps that's the whole art of the file — making a casino affair as thrilling as an after-sales service.
Key points
- On 20 June 2026, the Mount Lebanon indictment chamber is said to have handed down a dismissal in the Betarabia affair.
- Alleged beneficiaries: Roland Khoury (ex-director of Casino du Liban) and Jad Gharios (CEO of OSS).
- Charges dropped: misuse of public funds, money laundering, illicit enrichment.
- Origin: a gaming-management contract awarded to OSS, scrutinised by the financial prosecutor.
- A dismissal clears; it can be challenged. Presumption of innocence.
Magouilles & Compagnie verdict
Magouille or calomnie? A dismissal is not a guilty verdict: it says the courts did not gather enough to go to trial. Holding verdict: in a Lebanon where trust in financial institutions is on the floor, seeing a file touching public money close without a trial will leave, at the very least, a bitter taste of chips. The house never loses; it remains to be seen who the house really was.
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📚 Sources
❓ FAQ
Has this person or institution been convicted?
No. The article reports public information from the cited sources. The suspicions, investigations or proceedings mentioned do not amount to guilt. The presumption of innocence applies.
What sources is the article based on?
The article draws on the public sources listed at the bottom of the page. The satirical remarks are editorial opinion, distinct from the reported facts.
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It is factual satire: the facts are sourced, the tone is satirical. Nothing is invented, but the framing is ironic.
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