Millionaires make unlikely vehicles for sympathy. But realtor and sports agent Dwight Manley has our ear. He’s currently fighting an uphill battle against MGM Resorts International, which separated him from $3.5 million back in 2021. Although Manley is only suing for $75K or so (walking-around money for $16 million CEO Bill Hornbuckle) and has paid most of his debt to Leo the Lion, MGM is digging in its heels. It’s tried to have the case tossed, but the judge found that there was sufficient evidence of potential wrongdoing to proceed to trial. And these are matters which need to be hashed out in a courtroom.
A peculiar story in the Las Vegas Review-Journal seemed to imply that a confidential settlement was close at hand. It reported that U.S. Magistrate Judge Elayna Youchah tried to broker a meeting of the minds. Nobody was talking to the R-J, so it was all very inconclusive. The newspaper’s recap of the case was not particularly flattering to MGM, especially when a seemingly impaired Manley “shattered an ashtray, cut his hand and bled on the table felt … MGM personnel moved him to a different blackjack table but didn’t call for medical assistance, giving his friends Band-Aids for his cut hand.” How solicitous of them. The only person with their head screwed on straight would have to be the casino host who told Manley his 21 play was erratic. Although Manley had a $1 million credit limit, MGM bosses nearly quadrupled it on the spot, a move that ought to raise one’s eyebrows.
Manley crashed in the late afternoon (an odd time to be conking out) and says “he felt nauseous and groggy and had no recollection of the events of the previous day.” MGM was only too happy to remind him of his losses, of which Manley tried to beg out, citing his mentally befogged state. Doctors subsequently found traces of ketamine in Manley’s system, leading him to accuse MGM Mansion personnel of spiking his Old Fashioned. Manley has offered $1 million for the arrest and conviction of the malefactors, but he might as well be ponying up $100 million: Even if MGM fingers some hapless “rogue employee,” law enforcement in Nevada has a high tolerance for casino misdeeds. The Nevada Gaming Control Board, meanwhile, is doing what it does best: nothing, ostentatiously looking the other way.
Probably steamed by the R-J‘s (unwitting?) implication of a pending settlement, attorney Chris Madel phoned the Silver State’s best gaming reporter, Dana Gentry, and let fly. As Gentry pointed out, it doesn’t matter whether Manley was drugged or not. Nevada regulations expressly forbid gambling by visibly impaired people. Like Terrance K. Watanabe before him, Manley not only got sloshed but was clearly enabled by casino execs to dig a deeper and deeper hole for himself. Madel seems to be spoiling for a courtroom fight and we’d certainly relish seeing MGM’s dubious practices given closer scrutiny. As Madel pointed out, relevant text messages between two key MGM execs have gone suspiciously missing: “in this case, on both phones, [it] is beyond suspicious, and frankly, almost laughable.”
The conveniently AWOL messages alone fairly scream mens rea (guilty mind). Las Vegas Metro is also culpable, sitting on evidence that could prove or disprove Manley’s claims. But the plaintiff shows no signs of going away. He’s upgraded his legal team with heavy hitter Madel, and has evidently resisted MGM’s attempt to gang-tackle him with a trio of legal bigwigs of its own. Whatever the verdict, this case clearly has merit and should receive the fresh air (the best disinfectant) that a trial would bring.
Doldrums returned to casinos in the fair state of Louisana last month. Takings sank 5%. Promotional warfare has clearly returned to Lake Charles, where Horseshoe Lake Charles jumped an aberrant 6% to $10 million. That wasn’t enough, though, to leapfrog Delta Downs ($15 million, -7%). L’Auberge du Lac won the month’s rivalry with Golden Nugget Lake Charles, ceding 4.5% to $27 million while the Tilman Fertitta-owned rival casino settled for $26 million (-10%). In Baton Rouge the story was again Bally’s Baton Rouge, its $5 million a 529% moonshot over bygone Belle of Baton Rouge. Owner Bally’s Corp. robbed Peter to pay Paul, losing 15.5% of play at Queen Casino ($8 million). L’Auberge Baton Rouge also took a big hit, plunging 15.5% to $14.5 million.
New Orleans was good for Boyd Gaming, but not for so much anyone else. Treasure Chest gained a point to $15 million and Amelia Belle was up 1.5% to $3 million. Caesars New Orleans dipped 4.5% to a market-leading $29 million, Boomtown New Orleans tumbled 16% to $9.5 million and Fair Grounds racino slid 14.5% to $3.5 million. Outlying Evangeline Downs was off 6% to $7 million. The crowded Bossier City/Shreveport market was led by Margaritaville‘s $16 million, up a point, while Louisiana Live dipped 3% but hung onto $12 million and second place, ahead of Horseshoe Bossier City‘s $11 million (-2%). Much worse declines were had by Bally’s Shreveport ($8.5 million, -11.5%), Boomtown Bossier ($4 million, -11%), Louisiana Downs ($3 million, -9%) and Boyd-forsaken Sam’s Town Shreveport, plummeting 24.5% to $2.5 million. Pelican State sports betting saw players wagering terribly and largely. Handle was up 2% to $392.5 million but bookies’ winning vaulted 59% to $50.5 million, for a 13% hold. Tight!
Conversely, casinos ticked up 2.5% in Massachusetts, despite one less weekend day in March. Encore Boston Harbor hopped 2% to $64 million, MGM Springfield jumped 6% to $27 million and Plainridge Park was flat at $16.5 million. Sports betting was dominated by DraftKings and its $33.5 million. FanDuel had to settle for $19 million, followed by BetMGM‘s $5 million. theScore Bet and Caesars Sportsbook eked out $1.5 million and $2 million respectively.
Players also bet badly (or stupidly, perhaps) in Michigan, where OSB handle only rose 1% but revenue shot up 52%. (Did they all have UConn in their bracket?) Books made $51 million off $494 million in wagers, for 10% hold. FanDuel clobbered DraftKings, $20 million to $13 million. Others trying their hand included BetMGM ($7 million), Fanatics ($4 million), theScore Bet ($2 million) and Caesars Sportsbook ($2 million). BetRivers didn’t clear our Mendoza Line. If Caesars Entertainment is sold, as seems inevitable, perhaps part of the cost can be covered by spinning off the Roman Empire’s low-grossing digital assets and their bewildering plethora of brands.
Speaking of which, Caesars Palace Online contributed $21 million to a $322 million iGaming haul in March. FanDuel was tops with $86 million, while BetMGM ($71.5 million) fended off DraftKings ($49.5 million). BetRivers brought in $25 million, with another $9 million coming from Hollywood Casino. Terrestrial casinos in Detroit seem almost like an afterthought but they raked in $111.5 million, led by MGM Grand Detroit‘s $52 million (-3.5%). MotorCity banked $35 million (-2.5%) and while we had high hopes for Hollywood Greektown, it sank 9% to $24.5 million.
Quote of the Day: “There are two ways to control people. One way is through fear, the other is with hope.”—Terry Curtis Fox.