Compulsive Gambler Files $20M Suit Against Casinos

[Evan]

Minnesota Woman Names Several Atlantic City, Las Vegas Casinos In Lawsuit
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) ― She was an ambitious lawyer and TV commentator who starting going to Atlantic City casinos to relax, and soon was getting high-roller treatment that included limousines whisking her to the resort.

Arelia Margarita Taveras says she was even allowed to bring her dog, Sasha, to the blackjack tables, sitting in her purse.

But her gambling spun out of control: She said she would go days at a time at the tables, not eating or sleeping, brushing her teeth with disposable wipes so she didn't have to leave.

She says her losses totaled nearly $1 million.

Now she's chasing the longest of long shots: a $20 million racketeering lawsuit in federal court against six Atlantic City casinos and one in Las Vegas, claiming they had a duty to notice her compulsive gambling problem and cut her off.

"They knew I was going for days without eating or sleeping," Taveras said. "I would pass out at the tables. They had a duty of care to me. Nobody in their right mind would gamble for four or five straight days without sleeping."

Experts say her case will be difficult to prove, but it provides an unusually detailed window into the life of a problem gambler.

"It's like crack, only gambling is worse than crack because it's mental," said Taveras, 37, a New Yorker who now lives in Minnesota. "It creeps up on you, the impulse. It's a sickness."

She lost her law practice, her apartment, her parents' home, and owes the IRS $58,000. She said she even considered swerving into oncoming traffic to kill herself.

In interviews with The Associated Press, Taveras admitted she dipped into her clients' escrow accounts to finance her gambling habit. She was disbarred last June, and faces criminal charges stemming from those actions, but is trying to work out restitution agreements in order to avoid a prison term.

Her lawsuit names Resorts Atlantic City, Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort, the Tropicana Casino Resort, the Showboat Casino Hotel, Bally's Atlantic City, as well as the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

The casinos deny any wrongdoing, maintaining in court papers that Taveras brought her problems on herself. Casino representatives either declined to comment for this report or did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Last month, a judge dismissed the Trump casinos, the Tropicana, Showboat and Bally's from the lawsuit on technical grounds, but allowed Taveras to refile the suit against them by April. The suit remains in effect against Resorts and MGM because its allegations against them were more specific.

Joe Corbo, president of the Casino Association of New Jersey, said casino workers undergo extensive training on spotting problem gamblers and referring them to help, including a self-exclusion list the state maintains. Gamblers can voluntarily bar themselves from casinos, either for a few years or for life. While they're on the list, casinos cannot solicit them.

Dan Heneghan, a spokesman for the state Casino Control Commission, said 663 people are on the list.

"This can be a delicate situation, and it comes down to an individual's personal responsibility," Corbo said. "We can only suggest that they receive assistance and provide information how they can obtain help, but it is up to them to commit to seek it."

Paul O'Gara, an attorney specializing in Atlantic City gambling issues, said it will be difficult for Taveras to prove that the casinos knew she had a problem but ignored it.

"How are you supposed to know whether this was a woman who was just having a good time, or had money and was just lonely, as opposed to someone who couldn't control themselves?" he said.

Arnie Wexler, the former head of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, estimates there are 5 million problem gamblers in the United States, with 15 million at risk of becoming compulsive.

"Hers is not a rare case, believe me," said Wexler, who says he had a gambling problem. "This is the most powerful addiction you can have without putting something into your body. You remember your first big win, and you think `Hey, I can do this again; I can get it all back.'"

As a young lawyer, Taveras made a name for herself representing the families of victims of American Airlines Flight 587, which crashed in New York City's borough of Queens in November 2001, killing 265 people.

Her practice had 400 clients and earned her $500,000 a year. She appeared on TV and radio to discuss legal issues, wrote a guidebook for women dealing with deadbeat dads in the court system, titled "The Gangsta Girls' Guide To Child Support," and was a regular contributor to Hispanic culture Web sites. In 2000, the New York Daily News named her one of "21 New Yorkers to Watch in the 21st Century."

As an escape from the seven-day-a-week pressures of her law practice, she started going to Atlantic City to unwind in September 2003.

During one five-day gambling jag at Resorts in June 2005, Taveras says, she existed on nothing but orange juice and Snickers bars that the staff gave her. On the fifth day, she said, a dealer told her to go home because she appeared exhausted and unable to keep track of her cards.

Taveras spent nearly a year in clinics to treat her gambling addiction. She filed her lawsuit last September, representing herself, and is now working at a telephone call center in Minnesota.

"Everybody says `You gambled and you enjoyed yourself, then lost your money and now you want it back,'" Taveras said. "They think gambling is fun. It isn't, believe me. Not when you get like I did."

[T Park]

God bless america.

:depressed

[AlamoSpursFan]

THAT is the most frivilous lawsuit I've ever seen!

Sincerely,
The McDonald's coffee lady

[clambake]

talk about a gamble....

[T Park]

THAT is the most frivilous lawsuit I've ever seen!

Sincerely,
The McDonald's coffee lady

Did I tell you to put the balm on?

[TDMVPDPOY]

shes loses a million, and suing for 20m?

OUTRAGEOUS

[T Park]

shes loses a million, and suing for 20m?

OUTRAGEOUS


Welcome to America.

Where self responsibility is gone.

[SrA Husker]

Anyone who represents themselves has a fool for a client.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

The judge who allowed her to refile her lawsuit should be tarred and feathered. This is stupid.

[Jekka]

She lost her parents' house?! Why aren't THEY suing HER? Not to mention her clients who lost funds from their escrow accounts.

[Evan]

She lost her parents' house?! Why aren't THEY suing HER?

I took that as she was paying for their house before she took a flame thrower to her life.

[ShoogarBear]

I bet she loses.

[TwAnKiEs]

I bet she loses.


:lol

+1

[Marklar MM]

I bet she loses.

HAHA. She is a chronic gambler, and she is playing against the odds with this case.

[baseline bum]

The casinos should pay the settlement in chips.

[Shelly]

She said she even considered swerving into oncoming traffic to kill herself.

Great, so possibly kill some other people while you're trying to off yourself. Lovely.

[baseline bum]

Great, so possibly kill some other people while you're trying to off yourself. Lovely.

Seriously. Why's everyone too much of a pussy to grab the 12-gauge?

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

THAT is the most frivilous lawsuit I've ever seen!

Sincerely,
The McDonald's coffee lady

I've had some dealings with the attorney in the Mickey D's coffee suit. If you're an attorney you only need to win one of those type of cases in your lifetime and after that it's all gravy.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Look, I'm all for personal responsibility, but I've also seen addicted gamblers close up and they are as hopelessly hooked on gambling as alcoholics are on alcohol, or crack addicts on crack.

I'm not supporting the law suit, she should have gotten help when things started to unravel for her, but addictive gambling is a serious problem, and the casinos take very little responsibility for it. In fact, they go the other way - the build them so you can't find a way out, there are no clocks, the oxygen level is elevated. They do everything in their power to keep you in there once you go inside. That in itself is morally dubious.

[TDMVPDPOY]

WELL SHEs still not that old

can still do porn though

[MannyIsGod]

Look, I'm all for personal responsibility, but I've also seen addicted gamblers close up and they are as hopelessly hooked on gambling as alcoholics are on alcohol, or crack addicts on crack.

I'm not supporting the law suit, she should have gotten help when things started to unravel for her, but addictive gambling is a serious problem, and the casinos take very little responsibility for it. In fact, they go the other way - the build them so you can't find a way out, there are no clocks, the oxygen level is elevated. They do everything in their power to keep you in there once you go inside. That in itself is morally dubious.I don't think anyone here is shocked that casinos go the extra mile to get your money. Thats not to say that any of what they do is a) illegal or b) secret.

This suit is pretty ridiculous and there are no buts associated with that.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

I don't think anyone here is shocked that casinos go the extra mile to get your money. Thats not to say that any of what they do is a) illegal or b) secret.

This suit is pretty ridiculous and there are no buts associated with that.

Sure Manny, all I'm saying is that casinos prey on the weak. If what they do didn't work, they wouldn't do it. And addictive gambling is serious stuff - people lose their houses, families, commit suicide, etc.

[yavozerb]

Give her the 20 million and invite her back next week...

[T Park]

but addictive gambling is a serious problem, and the casinos take very little responsibility for it


Uhh

forget it.

[Fabbs]

Joe Corbo, president of the Casino Association of New Jersey, said casino workers undergo extensive training on spotting problem gamblers and referring them to help, including a self-exclusion list the state maintains. Gamblers can voluntarily bar themselves from casinos, either for a few years or for life. While they're on the list, casinos cannot solicit them.
YEAH TAVERAS AND OTHER ADDICTS ARE REALLY HARD TO SPOT:

During one five-day gambling jag at Resorts in June 2005, Taveras says, she existed on nothing but orange juice and Snickers bars that the staff gave her. On the fifth day, she said, a dealer told her to go home because she appeared exhausted and unable to keep track of her cards.

Dan Heneghan, a spokesman for the state Casino Control Commission, said 663 people are on the list. HA! YEAH RIGHT, 663 PEOPLE WHOM THE CASINOS HAVE VERIFIED ARE BEYOND BANKRUPT AND CAN NO LONGER BE MILKED?

Paul O'Gara, an attorney specializing in Atlantic City gambling issues, said it will be difficult for Taveras to prove that the casinos knew she had a problem but ignored it.

"How are you supposed to know whether this was a woman who was just having a good time, or had money and was just lonely, as opposed to someone who couldn't control themselves?" he said.
FEEDING SOMEONE SNICKERS BARS AND ORANGE JUICE FOR 5 DAYS. THATS IMPRESSIVE TEAMWORK.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Uhh

forget it.

Dude, I know what you were going to say. C'mon, I'm the one always ranting about people not taking personal responsibility, and I already stated that I don't support law suits like this. I'm all for taking responsibility for your actions and owning up to the consequences.

However, our societies try to shield us from the harm caused by: tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs, bad drivers, etc etc. And yet there has been no slowing of the invasion of our cultures by gambling, which to some unfortunate people is as addictive as heroin. Looks like a double standard to me.

And another thing - the US government won't allow online poker rooms in the US, but they're happy with casinos on every block? What a friggin joke, and a definite double-standard.

[Jimcs50]

Catch 22

Do you cut them off or do you let them have a chance to get some losses back?

Casinos are run by dirty SOBs. They try to get any edge they can and when you are losing, they offer more alcohol and gimmicks to try to get more money out of you, and when you are winning, they try to disrupt you whenever they can.

About 15 yrs ago, I was at the craps table and I was one hot SOB with the dice. I was hitting point after point and the high rollers were winning thousands and thousands of dollars on my roll. The casino was trying every trick in the book to get me off my run. They changed the stickmen, and the dealer, they tried to get the dice changed out. I hit my point 8 times and hit every number numerous times before hitting the point, so the chips were flying. I was betting only about $20-$40 on each number and I made a little over $2200 on that run, so you can imagine how much money the casino lost on the players that were betting $500 or more on each number.

Anyway, my point is, casinos are worse than Congress.

[MannyIsGod]

Dude, I know what you were going to say. C'mon, I'm the one always ranting about people not taking personal responsibility, and I already stated that I don't support law suits like this. I'm all for taking responsibility for your actions and owning up to the consequences.

However, our societies try to shield us from the harm caused by: tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs, bad drivers, etc etc. And yet there has been no slowing of the invasion of our cultures by gambling, which to some unfortunate people is as addictive as heroin. Looks like a double standard to me.

And another thing - the US government won't allow online poker rooms in the US, but they're happy with casinos on every block? What a friggin joke, and a definite double-standard.You know why Las Vegas is such a big town? Casinos are illegal in most of the US. It goes on a state by state basis, but dude you really need to do some more research on how the US works before making comments on what our government does or what it allows. Gambling is a state issue, not a federal issue.

Society cannot protect people from anything. It is up to people to protect themselves. Society may TRY to protejct people from the things you mentoined, but they fail miserably. In states where there are no casinos there are somehow still people addicted to gambling. Only in those states these people wind up owing money to people who do things far worse than eliminate clocks or keep the thermostat set at a low level.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

You know why Las Vegas is such a big town? Casinos are illegal in most of the US. It goes on a state by state basis, but dude you really need to do some more research on how the US works before making comments on what our government does or what it allows. Gambling is a state issue, not a federal issue.

Society cannot protect people from anything. It is up to people to protect themselves. Society may TRY to protejct people from the things you mentoined, but they fail miserably. In states where there are no casinos there are somehow still people addicted to gambling. Only in those states these people wind up owing money to people who do things far worse than eliminate clocks or keep the thermostat set at a low level.

State or federal, it's still regulated by government, no? What does the level of government have to do with anything?

Manny, I've traveled through about a third of the States in the US and I've never had trouble finding a casino or a card room. My point was that the government doesn't even TRY to protect people from casinos, while it does from all sorts of other potential social harms.

You'll notice I said "our societies" too, because the same thing has happened in Australia with poker machines (what you would call "slots") - they were deregulated, now they are in every bar, which has ruined the local music scene and vastly increased the number of people suffering from serious gambling addictions and losing their homes, etc.

I thought you'd agree with me on the hypocrisy of the online poker ban, but then sometimes you just want to argue with me and that's fine.

[MannyIsGod]

State or federal, it's still regulated by government, no? What does the level of government have to do with anything?

Manny, I've traveled through about a third of the States in the US and I've never had trouble finding a casino or a card room. My point was that the government doesn't even TRY to protect people from casinos, while it does from all sorts of other potential social harms.

You'll notice I said "our societies" too, because the same thing has happened in Australia with poker machines (what you would call "slots") - they were deregulated, now they are in every bar, which has ruined the local music scene and vastly increased the number of people suffering from serious gambling addictions and losing their homes, etc.

I thought you'd agree with me on the hypocrisy of the online poker ban, but then sometimes you just want to argue with me and that's fine.Find a casino in Texas. There's one off in the absolute middle of no where. You've probably had no trouble finding a casino because they're usually in places accessible to tourists. The governemtn should not be in the business of trying to protect people from themselves.

There is no online poker ban here. There is goverment overstepping their bounds where there is no law on the books to support their action and overseas companies voluntarily pulling out of the US market. Yet, there is a reason there has never be a single prosecution over online poker and that is because there isn't a law on the books that makes it illegal regardless of what the justice department may try to say.

I don't go out of my way to argue with you. You just always have to say things about our government that are way off. We don't have casinos on every block and they are severely regulated here. It rubs me the wrong way when people say incorrect things about our country.

[Phil Hellmuth]

Casino's are no different than other businesses that provide consumer goods (or vices so to say). Isolated cases and scare tactics of addiction will not change my opinion on its legality and moral state of affairs.

A consumer has a right to stay away and the casino has a right to do everything in its power to attract that consumer.

[mikejones99]

this bitch needs to be beaten down, stupid whore

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Find a casino in Texas. There's one off in the absolute middle of no where. You've probably had no trouble finding a casino because they're usually in places accessible to tourists. The governemtn should not be in the business of trying to protect people from themselves.

There is no online poker ban here. There is goverment overstepping their bounds where there is no law on the books to support their action and overseas companies voluntarily pulling out of the US market. Yet, there is a reason there has never be a single prosecution over online poker and that is because there isn't a law on the books that makes it illegal regardless of what the justice department may try to say.

I don't go out of my way to argue with you. You just always have to say things about our government that are way off. We don't have casinos on every block and they are severely regulated here. It rubs me the wrong way when people say incorrect things about our country.

Fuck, I wasn't even having a go at the US! And I don't only go "to places tourists go to". Let's see. I've driven about 10,000miles around the west on 3 different road trips over a decade and found casinos in every state, every sizable city, and then there are the reservation casinos. Sure, there aren't as many in Idaho (only 163 registered casino hotels - I visited one in C'oeur D'Alene) as in California/Nevada (they are everywhere), and Arizona confines it to reservations only, but don't tell me that casinos aren't within 100 miles of a large percentage of the populace, at least in the West which is where I've traveled most. As for Texas, here a list of "Hotels located in Texas cities with casinos or gambling", of which there are apparently 192 in SA:

http://www.worldcasinodirectory.com/hotels/texas

Now I understand that most of these are pubs with slot machines, but the point is that gambling is all around the place, just as it now is in Australia because it was largely deregulated 10 years ago.

As for "not having a law on the books" to outlaw online poker, that has nothing to do with what I said. Why does the government (at all levels) ban online poker but allow slots, casinos etc all over the place? To protect the interests of the current gambling lobby is my guess (the online poker rooms were owned by new players on the scene).

Didn't you make your living sharping online poker for a while? Doesn't the double standard annoy you?

As for people, you're right, you can't protect them from themselves, but you can minimise the harm, and a good way to do that would be to not allow casinos to exploit gambling-vulnerable people by raising the oxygen level, taking away clocks, building casinos like labyrinths, etc.

Anyway, as usual I must be horribly wrong, so I'll leave it at that.

[mikejones99]

so what, men have to look at pussy everyday and try not to pick the bitches up, much worse than gambling and pussy is everwhee

[Phil Hellmuth]

As for people, you're right, you can't protect them from themselves, but you can minimise the harm, and a good way to do that would be to not allow casinos to exploit gambling-vulnerable people by raising the oxygen level, taking away clocks, building casinos like labyrinths, etc.



disagree. casino's can do whatever they want and don't have to conform to people who don't know how to handle themselves (or quit).

[Fabbs]

Well now we can see how the suit turns out.
Here is her webpage which will chronicle:
http://mycasinolawsuit.com/

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

As for Texas, here a list of "Hotels located in Texas cities with casinos or gambling", of which there are apparently 192 in SA:

http://www.worldcasinodirectory.com/hotels/texas

Anyway, as usual I must be horribly wrong, so I'll leave it at that.

Those aren't hotels with casinos in them. Most of them offer shuttles or day trips to casinos, i.e., leave from Houston and go to Lake Charles, or stay in Port Aransas and go out on the Texas Treasure Gambling Boat, etc.

I really hope this lady gets beat down in her lawsuit though. People have their vices, hers was gambling. Why was it the casino's job to stop her from gambling? For all they know she was worth a billion dollars, bored, and having a good time.

Did the casinos have a duty of care when she was stealing money from her clients? Give me a fucking break!


"They knew I was going for days without eating or sleeping," Taveras said. "I would pass out at the tables. They had a duty of care to me. Nobody in their right mind would gamble for four or five straight days without sleeping."


I guess me and my buddies aren't in our right minds. We do a Vegas trip every year where we go out for three days and basically gamble straight through. Sure, we may take 2-3 breaks for a total of about 8 hours over that time span, but last trip there I played craps for basically 36 hours straight, stopping only to take breaks to go hit the head and watch a hoops game for 2 hours.

I came out slightly ahead over that time frame, but you know what? It wasn't a matter of being compulsive about it, I had a limit and if I would have reached it I would have walked away from the tables.

This bitch has no will power and wants everyone else to take responsibility for it. Hell, she's really a thief. We're supposed to believe it was the fault of multiple casinos she went home from a trip after losing her ass and thought "hmmm, I'll steal some of my clients' escrow cash and go gamble with that and make it all back.'

That's called stupidity, and she's gotten everything she deserves.

[SAGambler]

Dude, I know what you were going to say. C'mon, I'm the one always ranting about people not taking personal responsibility, and I already stated that I don't support law suits like this. I'm all for taking responsibility for your actions and owning up to the consequences.

However, our societies try to shield us from the harm caused by: tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs, bad drivers, etc etc. And yet there has been no slowing of the invasion of our cultures by gambling, which to some unfortunate people is as addictive as heroin. Looks like a double standard to me.

And another thing - the US government won't allow online poker rooms in the US, but they're happy with casinos on every block? What a friggin joke, and a definite double-standard.

That's only because they can't figure out a way to tax them. If they ever do that, it's katy-bar-the-door.

[MannyIsGod]

Fuck, I wasn't even having a go at the US! And I don't only go "to places tourists go to". Let's see. I've driven about 10,000miles around the west on 3 different road trips over a decade and found casinos in every state, every sizable city, and then there are the reservation casinos. Sure, there aren't as many in Idaho (only 163 registered casino hotels - I visited one in C'oeur D'Alene) as in California/Nevada (they are everywhere), and Arizona confines it to reservations only, but don't tell me that casinos aren't within 100 miles of a large percentage of the populace, at least in the West which is where I've traveled most. As for Texas, here a list of "Hotels located in Texas cities with casinos or gambling", of which there are apparently 192 in SA:

http://www.worldcasinodirectory.com/hotels/texas

Now I understand that most of these are pubs with slot machines, but the point is that gambling is all around the place, just as it now is in Australia because it was largely deregulated 10 years ago.

As for "not having a law on the books" to outlaw online poker, that has nothing to do with what I said. Why does the government (at all levels) ban online poker but allow slots, casinos etc all over the place? To protect the interests of the current gambling lobby is my guess (the online poker rooms were owned by new players on the scene).

Didn't you make your living sharping online poker for a while? Doesn't the double standard annoy you?

As for people, you're right, you can't protect them from themselves, but you can minimise the harm, and a good way to do that would be to not allow casinos to exploit gambling-vulnerable people by raising the oxygen level, taking away clocks, building casinos like labyrinths, etc.

Anyway, as usual I must be horribly wrong, so I'll leave it at that.

LOL @ your figure of 192 hotels in San Antonio with gambling. Thats pretty fucking funny. I can't believe I didn't respond to this back then, but there are ZERO gambling establishments in San Antonio.

[slowchild25]

That's only because they can't figure out a way to tax them. If they ever do that, it's katy-bar-the-door.

You beat me to it! This is the only reason online poker is "illegal" right now.

As for the lawsuit. It makes about as much sense as suing McDonalds because you are fat or your local drug dealer because of your coke problem. Take responsibility. She could have self excluded herself from every casino near her or looked for several groups to help with her addiction with a simple phone call. If she wants someone to blame she needs to look in the mirror.

[Man of Steel]

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg226/dorothymaue/bucky2.jpg