Mark A. Johnston is suing the Downtown Grand Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in a case that can only be described as “When Gambling While Drunk Goes Wrong.”
Johnston, who is from Ventura, California, filed a civil suit citing the casino’s negligence in refusing to stop him as he spent upwards of $500,000 during a 44-hour February visit to the casino, including a 17-hour gambling binge, reports RawStory.
The civil suit claims that he was slurring his speech, dropping chips, and unable to differentiate colors or properly play his hand. Apparently the retired car dealership owner took out four lines of credit, one worth $250,000 and another worth $100,000, during the visit. To add insult to injury, the suit also claims that the Grand Las Vegas allegedly warned the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino not to do business with him.
“I am not a sore loser. I’ve lost half a million. I’ve lost $800,000. I’ve lost a lot of money,” he was quoted as saying. “This has nothing to do with that. Obviously I can afford what I lost.” He said that the suit is less about the money and more about the fact that he felt that he was wronged by the casino’s actions – or lack thereof.
Although there was no direct comment from the Grand Las Vegas, CNN reports that the casino is under investigation by the state gaming control board, due to allowing “visibly intoxicated” customers to not only participate in gaming activity but also for giving them access to complimentary alcoholic beverages.
All of this is yet another reason not to gamble while drunk.
If you or anyone you know suffers from a gambling addiction, please don’t be ashamed to check out Gambler’s Anonymous.
[Image: DowntownGrand]