A gambler who lost almost $25m through the BetMGM and Borgata online casinos has failed in his attempt to sue MGM Resorts. Sam Antar claimed that the company was responsible for letting someone exhibiting signs of problematic behavior spend so much money and incentivized him to keep playing through VIP perks.
courts nationwide have consistently rejected that casinos have a duty of care for compulsive gamblers
A federal judge dismissed the original 2020 case before Antar appealed the decision. The judge panel on Monday concluded that courts nationwide have consistently rejected that casinos have a duty of care for compulsive gamblers. Senior US Circuit Judge Jane Richards Roth remarked that casinos get extensive protection from private litigation in New Jersey.
Antar’s attorney had argued that the role of a VIP host is similar to that of any other type of salesperson and that the host’s knowledge of his client’s gambling issue meant that a harmful product was willingly sold, something which is illegal in the state.
Two hosts sent more than 1,800 text messages from June 2019 to January 2020, by which point Antar had lost more than $24m on the BetMGM and Borgata Online casinos. The judges concluded that the plaintiff failed to prove that any of the communications were misleading.
