A top lawyer who represented the families of victims of American Airlines Flight 587 suing seven casinos for not spotting her problem and banning her from the casinos.
Arelia Taveras has filed suit against the casinos for her gambling addition claiming those casinos did not recognize her problem and allowed her to continue to gamble. The 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.
She claims that she would receive highroller treatment including limousines, free comps, and even the ability to have a seat at the Blackjack tables for her dog.
Taveras claims that after some time she stopped taking care of herself and would spend days at the tables without eating or sleeping. She has even gone as far as claiming she would use disposable wiped to brush her teeth with so she wouldn’t have to leave the game.
“They knew I was going for days without eating or sleeping,” Ms 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. It’s like crack, only gambling is worse than crack because it’s mental. It creeps up on you, the impulse. It’s a sickness.”
She claims to have lost over £530,000 and has since lost her license to practise law. During her months of spending time at the casinos admits to using clients’ escrow accounts to help find her gambling addiction. She is currently facing criminal charges and has been disbarred for this.
Other gambling experts have stated she has a very difficult case to prove. Joe Corbo, president of the Casino Association of New Jersey, said “Casino workers were given 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 are on the list, the casinos cannot solicit them.”
Taveras has spent the last year in clinics to help treat her gambling addiction. Her lawsuit is suing all seven casinos for a total of £10.5 million.
