The player in question is Badri Tsertsvadze of Georgia who was apprehended by the security team of the casino. Tsertsvadze was purportedly using rigged dice in the playing room of the tournament during the final day of the PGT competition.

Partouche Casino Security had placed Tsertsvadze under surveillance and a subsequent police investigation indicated that the dice he was using had been expertly altered – the 2s on the dice had been changed to 5s. Tsertsvadze was charged with attempted fraud in the local jurisdiction and must appear before a judge at the Dieppe Court in Normandy on December 4, 2008.

It is suspected that Tsertsvadze may have been utilizing rigged dice at a number of different Backgammon tournaments for about a year or so. He won first place in the French Open Masters at Enghien-les-Bains, France last November, where he and another player with the same surname, were also semi-finalists in the 3rd European Backgammon Doubles Championships. Badri Tsertsvadze also won the Last Chance at the 19th City Of Venice International Backgammon Tournament a month later, in December of 2007.

Eric Guedj, Director of the PartoucheGammon Tour, promptly announced that “rules and controls shall be reinforced in the PartoucheGammon Tour’s live tournaments” and that any such amendments to the rules will soon be published soon.

Guedj has also begun to communicate with a number of other prominent international tournament directors since Sunday seeking a comprehensive agreement in proposing, and enforcing, more ample live event procedures as well as the implementation of new security controls.

Guedj further remarked that, “Backgammon players have the right to a fair and honest game and this abuse is shameful. Partouche will vigorously continue to protect the players from this and any other type of cheating, and discourage rogue players from coming to Partouche events and casinos; they must know that no one can come and cheat in our games! And they now are fully aware of the legal consequences. This is a serious issue and it damages the concept, as well as the spirit of live backgammon play.”

“This recent affair is a wake-up call for Tournament Directors everywhere. We need to sit down together, and TOGETHER carry out the groundwork to create a competent, legitimate and respected Backgammon authority - one that will lay down the foundation to standardize tournament rules and procedures. This is good for our game, everywhere, and I cannot see Backgammon progressing without such an authority,” concluded Guedj.

The Partouche Group is renowned for the efficiency of its security system and has caught people cheating in a variety of other games in the past.