CASINO SUED BY COMPULSIVE GAMBLER FOR LETTING HIM LOSE $260,000
A Canadian man is suing a casino for allegedly letting him lose more than $342,000 (about $260,000 U.S.) by taking advantage of his status as a compulsive gambler.
Tarwinder Shokar says he lost about $342,000 during an October 2013 trip to Caesars Windsor Resort and Casino. He is suing the casino and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission (OLG) for his losses, in addition to punitive damages of $500,000 (around $381,000 U.S.), according to a Thursday report in The Windsor Star. The lawsuit was not filed long after the gambling took place, but the case was only recently transferred to the Superior Court of Justice in Windsor.
"Our position is he was a compulsive gambler and the casino and/or the OLG were either well aware of his past background—or should have been," Shokar's lawyer Iain MacKinnon told the paper.
Shortly before the Caesars binge, Shokar was said to have attempted suicide by throwing himself in front of a bus after losing all his money at a different casino. Although he was seriously injured, he survived the collision and received a large insurance payout as a result of his injuries. He then used the insurance money to finance his massive losing streak.
Shokar reportedly had fraud convictions and was banned from a number of other casinos due to his behavior prior to the binge. A travel agency specializing in casino visits is said to have suggested Caesars Windsor. Shokar claims that when the casino understood that he intended to gamble a large amount of money, they rolled out the VIP treatment and plied him with alcohol, allowing him to gamble while he was intoxicated.
His first visit to the casino on October 17, 2013 resulted in him losing approximately $92,000 ($70,000 U.S.) by the next morning. Days later, he racked up losses of $250,000 (around $190,000 U.S.). The lawsuit alleges that the casino should have known he had a gambling problem, but took advantage of him due to the large amount of money they could make.
https://www.newsweek.com/casino-sued...260000-1479307