Problem gambler claims MGM exploited him out of $30m
A New Jersey gambling addict is asking the Third Circuit Court of Appeals to reexamine his allegations against MGM Resorts International, reports Courthouse News Service.
Sam A. Antar asked the NJ court if it would take another look at the lawsuit against MGM and its affiliates, including Borgata Online and BetMGM.
Antar, a high roller from New Jersey, claims that MGM took advantage of his identified gambling addiction by giving him presents, "ceaselessly enticing" him with promotional offers, and providing him with "relentless" cash incentives. He claimed that during a time when he lost over $30 million in gaming, he received hundreds of texts with these offers.
Despite Antar's assertions, US Circuit Judge Stephanos Bibas stated that even if the claim was successful, it was unlikely that they could come up with a solution.
Bibas questioned whether Antar's propensity to gambling would have caused him to lose the $30 million in any case. He questioned, "How can we ascertain how much of his loss was the defense cost?"
Matthew Litt, Antar's defense attorney, emphasized a point in time when the gambling sites in question were alerted to unlawful activities. In August 2019, this happened at the same time as a lawsuit against Antar for scamming investors out of $550,000, some of which he used to gamble on the websites.
According to Litt, this ought to have raised enough red flags for MGM to prohibit Antar from gambling and cease providing him with incentives. MGM failed to do so.
