Man sues casino after losing $500k while drunk

A businessman is trying to get back £298,000 he lost after arguing that he was too drunk to be gambling in the first place.

16:39 07 March 2014

Businessman Mark Johnson has lost £298,000 while playing at the Downtown Grand and now he is suing the casino for loaning him money and allowing him to play even though he was too drunk to play. In fact, he claims that he could not remember the episode after waking up in his hotel room.

In Nevada, it is illegal for casinos to allow drunk guests to continue to lay bets.

According to the lawsuit, Johnson arrived at the casino on January 30 where he was plied with free alcoholic drinks while he gambled. He described his condition as akin to a “blackout period.” The 17-hour gambling marathon was said to start on the night of January 30 and ended the next afternoon. The documents also claimed that he played blackjack and was served about 20 drinks.

The lawsuit stated: "Mr Johnston, an experienced gambler, was dropping chips on the floor, confusing chip colours and slurring his speech badly, and he was unable to read his cards or set his hands properly."

A Grand spokeswoman has said the company does not comment on pending litigation.