Top 4 Most Outrageous Casino Lawsuits Of All Time

Sports betting in Arizona is set to begin on September 9. The Arizona Cardinals will be the first NFL team to have a sportsbook in its home stadium after striking a deal with BetMGM earlier this month.

With betting comes the addictive highs and lows of dealing with the consequences and cashouts involved. There is no limit to the amount of fun and entertainment we can have when playing in a casino, but we should never forget to do it responsibly.

The games have simple rules that are clearly stated, but there is one game where the rules are often much more complicated — casino lawsuits.

Being an expert in the casino industry and having vast knowledge of casinos lawsuits, the author Caroline Grogerssen will show us the most outrageous court cases that have rocked the gambling world.

 

Katrina Bookman | The Jackpot Nightmare 

Winning a Jackpot is a dream of every gambler, whether in an actual brick-and-mortar casino or online gambling. In Denmark, there are several options of fun and entertainment where you can try your luck, provided you play responsibly, most of which are listed at https://dansk.casino/ for some of the finest products in the gambling world. 

Legal online casinos can be trustworthy and have us chase a jackpot, especially in the millions. This dream came true for Katrina Bookman, but unfortunately, it soon became a nightmare.

In 2016, Katrina played the Sphinx slot machine at Resorts World Casino and supposedly won a $43 million jackpot. When she collected her winnings, the casino claimed she didn’t win anything and offered her $2.25 and a complimentary steak dinner

Naturally enraged, she sued the casino for the total amount of the jackpot, fighting against a gambling industry that she claimed to be deceitful.

The casino stated that the slot machine was illegitimate and the prize was due to a computer glitch. They defended themselves using the label “malfunctions void all payouts and plays”. At the moment, this is still one of the most famous ongoing gambling court cases.

 

Arelia Taveras | The Danger Addiction

It’s debatable whether casinos are rigged when it comes to keeping players as addicted as possible. This is one of the gambling court cases where we must emphasize the importance of responsible gambling.

In 2008, Arelia Taveras, a lawyer and compulsive gambler, lost up to $1 million at Atlantic City. Arelia lost her and her clients’ money, her lawyer license and her home. In one case, she mentioned spending five consecutive days gambling at Resorts Casino, surviving only on complimentary chocolate bars and orange juice.

As a result, she sued seven of Atlantic City’s biggest casinos for $20 million! She alleged that the casinos facilitated and encouraged her gambling addiction and induced her to spend money that belonged to her and others.

Unfortunately for her, all lawsuits were lost. The judge stated that as long as casinos obey the rules mandated by state law, they could not be held legally responsible for the harm that compulsive gamblers do to themselves in the gambling world. 

 

Mark Johnston | The Unforgettable Weekend

One thing that the gambling industry knows well is how to offer customers alcohol along with their games. However, things can get a bit out of hand if the liquor is not consumed in moderation. 

In 2014, Mark Johnston spent a weekend at the Downtown Grand Casino in Las Vegas. After a whole day of drinking, he went to the casino and continued to gamble and drink for 17 hours. The adventure ended up in the loss of over $500,000 on a casino line of credit. Johnston refused to pay the debt, claiming that he had no recollection of the incident because he was intoxicated. 

He brought suit against Downtown Grand Casino, stating that not only was the casino fully aware of his intoxication, but they encouraged him to drink by serving him alcohol all night.

Although Nevada regulations prohibit visibly drunk guests from gambling, the casino claimed that Johnston did not appear intoxicated, and the court dismissed his lawsuit.

 

Chistian Hainz | The Winner 

From 1997 to 2000, Christian Hainz racked up a series of gambling debts worth €2.5 million with two Swiss casinos.

Christian Hainz claimed that his heavy losses resulted from the various offers and the belief that casinos are rigged. For over three years, he was unable to stop due to his severe gambling addiction.

He went on to the court, claiming that the gambling institutions were aware of his situation and did nothing to prevent his gambling excesses. Consequently, he accumulated debts and lost his business. 

The real controversy came in 2004 when the Austrian Court of Appeal ruled in his favour. As a result, the casinos reimbursed him a total of €499.729 for his losses.

When we play at casinos, we should be aware that the odds of winning are against us. After all, the gambling industry wouldn’t be able to stay in business if it wasn’t very good at winning. Take the right attitude along and defy the odds without ever losing control. In the end, as long as you have fun, you’re already winning!

As gambl

Back to top