The Court Battle for $24 Million: What Did the Appeals Court Decide?

A player has lost a court case against the American company MGM Resorts, after suing for compensation of over US$24 million, which he lost at online casinos owned by the group. The United States Court of Appeals ruled that the gambling operator is not considered liable for the major financial losses of gamblers. 

The case was brought by a New Jersey resident, Sam Antar, who claimed that in the period of 2019–2020, he had lost over US$24 million while playing at online casinos BetMGM and Borgata Online. Antar stated that both casinos encouraged his play, despite being aware of his addiction. According to the player, MGM’s VIP program bombarded him with over 1,800 bonus and promotion offers, purposefully involving the player in the game in order to take advantage of his state. 

Nevertheless, on April 28, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals rejected these allegations, referring to the state law, which rules that casinos are not obligated to protect players from the consequences of their own gambling behaviour. Judge Jane Roth also emphasised that marketing offers and promotional content did not meet the legal definition of fraud or deception. 

Moreover, Antar’s claims about MGM’s services having no value were also rejected. The court explains that gambling activity, even when resulting in financial losses, delivers what was promised to a player — an entertainment experience. Thus, the lawsuit was dismissed due to the absence of evidence of any illegal actions on the company’s side. 

At the same time, in the Netherlands, another player succeeded in the lawsuit against Corona and BLM Group, which operated sites Betsson, Kroon Casino, and Orange Casino. The gambler will receive compensation for his losses as well as interest from the date of deposit, resulting in an over €1.5 million payout.