MGM Resorts is clutching their pearls at the Third Circuit because it has been suggested that maybe they shouldn't have sent countless "pretty please come gamble!" texts to a guy with a gambling addiction.
Sam A. Antar is suing MGM Resorts for allegedly exploiting his diagnosed gambling addiction, to the tune of about $30 million. According to Courthouse News Service, they kept pushing gambling incentives even after New Jersey authorities showed up with a subpoena about suspicious activity on their site.
During oral arguments, Trump-appointed Judge Stephanos Bibas asked: "Wouldn't he have lost all this money anyway because he was a gambling addict?" Fair point, Your Honor, but maybe don't send thousands of "Hey big spender!" texts to someone you know has a problem?
MGM's lawyer Daniel Rhynhart argued with a straight face that it would be a "slippery slope" to expect casinos to check if their high-rolling customers are stealing money to feed their gambling addiction.
MGM's defense basically boils down to "Sure, we could tell he had a problem, but legally we only have to put some addiction hotline numbers on our website!" Which is like saying, "Yeah, we saw the house was on fire, but we only have to have a fire extinguisher, not actually use it."
Previously:
• Neuroscience of gambling
• Should Gamblers Bear Responsibility for their Habits?
• New gamblers who see a short video about slot-machine psychology don't get tricked
• Watch this manic, lightly dystopian advertisement promoting legal gambling in Florida
