Slot machine attacks
Bronx resident Pren Mrijaj claims the Resorts World Casino in Queens falsely accused him of participating in slot machine attacks.
Hundreds of gamblers have broken slot machines at the facility since it opened in 2011, but Mrijaj claims he is not one of them.
Mrijaj claims that a minimum of 150 people have been improperly detained
In a Supreme Court lawsuit against Resorts World Casino, Mrijaj claims that a minimum of 150 people have been improperly detained by casino personnel due to the breaking of machines.
False accusations
According to the high roller, the casino accuses players on a regular basis of damaging machines and detains them until they pay up.
Alan Zajic, a casino security expert, has said that it is not uncommon for players to break the slot machines on the East Coast. The machines have a glass screen that is vulnerable and can easily be broken by a punch.
Mr. Zajic said: “If a person gets mad, they hit it with their bag or punch it with their fists and break it. I will tell you it tends to happen more often in markets on the Eastern seaboard.”
Mrijaj’s case
In the case of Mrijaj, casino security guards allegedly approached him one night in 2018. He says they took him to a basement area and held him for hours. They accused him of breaking a slot machine but failed to show video evidence of the so-called incident. Mrijaj denied casuing any damage.
The casino called the police and Mrijaj was arrested. However, the case was eventually dismissed. About a year later, Mrijaj returned to the casino after calling in advance to make sure he was allowed back.
Mrijaj paid the $1,600 so he could leave
He visited the slots area once again and won. Once he was ready to cash in a voucher for $5,000, Mrijaj says security took him to the same room in the basement. He claims he was asked to pay $1,600 for the broken machine from the year prior. After over an hour, Mrijaj paid the $1,600 so he could leave.
Resorts World Casino in Queens has not commented on the ongoing litigation. However, they did note that the heavy foot traffic of their facility and exciting atmosphere can cause wear and tear on machines.
