Atlantic City Casino Sues Gamblers, Card Manufacturer After Losing More Than $1.5 Million
By Jericka Duncan
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (CBS) - The Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino is suing 14 patrons and Gemaco, a manufacturer and distributor of pre-shuffled cards.
Eyewitness learned the lawsuit was filed mid-July. According to Golden Nugget's general manager, several gamblers who participated in a Mini Baccarat game on April 30th, resulted in a loss to the casino of more than $1.5 million.
The Golden Nugget put cards into play that were certified by Gemaco to be pre-shuffled, when in fact it was later determined that they were not shuffled at all. As a result, officials with the Golden Nugget say the cards dealt in the game repeated a pattern that allowed the gamblers to win at the expense of the casino.
Yi Hang Li of New York spoke exclusively to Eyewitness News about what happened to him. He says on May 1st, the Golden Nugget Casino in Atlantic City, detained him for seven hours with no food, no water, and no access to a phone.
Attorneys from Feldman Shepherd in Philadelphia represent Li. They allege the Golden Nugget profiled Li and several other Asian people because of the incident that occurred the night before.
Attorney Alan Feldman says he represents five of the 14 people named in the Golden Nugget suit. Feldman says the individuals who won money that night should be paid. He argues the responsibility should fall on the company that failed to properly shuffle the cards labeled "certified".
According to a statement from the Golden Nugget, "The gamblers unlawfully took advantage of the Golden Nugget when they caught onto the pattern and increased their bets from table minimums to table maximums and by placing bets for others."
Gemaco didn't return our phone call. Feldman says in the coming weeks he plans to sue the Golden Nugget for racial discrimination and he says he will sue them for triple damages under New Jersey's Consumer Fraud Law.
