Online Gambler Lacking Legal Recourse Against MGM Resorts after Losing $25 Million Bet
Vegas Slips Out of Hot Water Again 🤩
Some folks think casinos should bear responsibility when a gambler goes on a disastrous losing streak, but a recent lawsuit against MGM Resorts didn't exactly pan out for the plaintiff. A high-rolling gambler, Sam Antar, lost an staggering $25m on BetMGM and Borgata online casinos, and claimed the company should've done more to stop him. But, the courts ain't having it!
Courts across the land have been crystal clear - casinos ain't gotta worry about their customers developing a gambling addiction. Senior US Circuit Judge Jane Richards Roth hammered home the point: New Jersey gives casinos immense protection from litigation.
Antar's lawyer argued that a VIP host's job is like any other salesperson's and knowin' their client's gambling problem means they're sellin' a dangerous product. That's against the law in some states, but this time, the court said no cigar.
Two VIP hosts sent over 1,800 messages to Antar from June 2019 to January 2020, when he'd already lost a cool $24m. However, Antar couldn't prove that any of these conversations were misleading.
This isn't the first time a court's dismissed a lawsuit like this. In fact, MGM Resorts has twice managed to dodge responsibility for similar cases, with courts referencing their heavy legal protections and the lack of explicit statutory obligations to prevent compulsive gambling. Even New Jersey's Consumer Fraud Act doesn't apply in cases like this.
In other words, courts aren't about to force casinos to take on a legal responsibility for gamblers' losses, especially when it comes to actively incentivizing play through bonuses or VIP programs. This nationwide trend shows a reluctance to assign legal responsibility for compulsive behavior without clear and explicit laws to back it up. 🤷♀️
Sources:
- New Jersey Law Journal
- Reuters
- Casino.org
- Casino.org
- Despite the argument that casinos should be held accountable when a patron experiences significant losses, courts continue to protect casinos, such as Borgata, from lawsuits alleging compulsive gambling.
- Court decisions have consistently refused to hold casino-and-gambling companies like MGM Resorts responsible for a client's gambling addiction, citing extensive protections provided by law and the absence of explicit statutory obligations.
- In various cases, the courts have even dismissed lawsuits contending that casinos, including online ones, have indirectly promoted compulsive gambling by offering bonuses or VIP programs.
- With little legal precedent supporting the claims brought against casinos for encouraging irresponsible gambling, it appears that these establishments will continue to operate without a strong legal responsibility for the potential negative impacts of their casino-games and related activities, such as lotteries.
