Yet another reason to gamble at an online casino, rather than
a land-based casino - You won't get assaulted. That was
precisely the claim of Steven Jaffe, who says he was taken
into a back room where he was cursed at and emotionally abused
after winning $4,000 at the New Frontier Casinos blackjack
tables in Las Vegas. Jaffe took the case to court and
was actually awarded $110,000 in compensatory damages.
Although there is more to the
case than Jaffe getting roughed up, like how Jaffe was using a
casino loyalty card under a fake name, the court found that
Jaffe's treatment by casino security, regardless of his
actions, was not warranted, and that Jaffe was entitled for
his compensation. The exact ruling found that the casino
was guilty of negligence, false imprisonment, assault and
battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The instigating circumstances in the first
place was that Jaffe was counting cards at the blackjack table - and winning a
large amount of money. (Card counting is not illegal; However, casinos have the
right to make players leave the casino). In just a half an hour, Jaffe had
pocketed $4,000. After cashing out his chips, Jaffe was wrangled by
security and brought into an interrogation room where he was videotaped.
And although the videotape did not show severe abuse on the casinos part, it did
show the security agent cursing at Jaffe and forcing him up against a wall to be
searched.
Lawyers for New Frontier Casino are not sure at
this time if the casino will be taking further steps to absolve the case, such
as appeals court or asking for another trial. In the meantime, the casino
has changed its policies on how it handles unwanted players. Now, instead
of being interrogated, they are simply asked to leave the casino premises and
not return.
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