Contrary to what early press reports led us to believe, MGM Resorts International‘s counterclaim against victims of the Mandalay Bay Massacre does not affect any of the active cases 
now moving forward against the casino giant. The Associated Press says, “The lawsuits target victims who have sued the company and voluntarily dismissed their claims or have threatened to sue … MGM claims the victims — through actual and threatened lawsuits — have implicated [a security contractor’s] services because they involve concert security, including training, emergency response and evacuation.” Hence the resort to federal court and invocation of a post-9/11 law, the Safety Act, as an all-encompassing legal shield.
Plaintiffs’ attorneys are not impressed. The very vocal Robert Eglet was quick to respond. “This is absolute gamesmanship. It’s outrageous. It’s just pouring gasoline on the fire of suffering,” he told the news agency. “They are very distraught, very upset over this. MGM is trying to intimidate them.” Another attorney, Robert Claypool, not only represents litigants against MGM, he was an endangered bystander during the Oct. 1, 2017 shooting. “We collectively view this as a bullying tactic to intimidate the survivors who are rightfully seeking social change and redress through the litigation process,” he wrote. MGM continues to push the argument, via spokeswoman Debra DeShong, that it’s just seeking closure for the victims. We doubt they see it that way.
* It’s not clear why Caesars Entertainment is leaving Caesars Atlantic City out of the fun but it’s applying to open quick-and-dirty sports books at Bally’s and Harrah’s Resort. At the latter, 11 
slot machines will be displaced to make room for a temporary sports book while Bally’s will clear 3,648 square feet without changing the number of gaming positions. It’s not the most elegant response to the new legality of sports betting in New Jersey but we can understand Caesars’ circumspection about investing money in a permanent sports books on the chance that the Supreme Court would rule in the Garden State’s favor. One hiccup in Caesars’ proposal: It hasn’t applied for any sports-betting licenses yet. Talk about putting the cart before the horse.
* In a similar vein, a casino-seeking Arkansas tribe is kicking the tires of potential sites in Pine Bluff well in advance of November’s referendum on casino gambling. Although the ballot question says the casino is “to be located in Jefferson County within two miles of Pine Bluff,” the city itself was always the desired jurisdiction. The moving force behind the Jefferson County casino quest is the Quapaw Tribe, one of several groups that comprise Driving 
Arkansas Forward. The group blitzed the airwaves during its petition drive and still has a substantial war chest to draw upon: $537,000. The Cherokee and Quapaw tribes are the most “george” donors.
“This is not some fly-by-night issue,” said lobbyist Don Tilton. “We are talking about 1,000 permanent jobs and up to 1,000 workers needed to build the facility. We will do this the right way. Jefferson County and Pine Bluff are part of the Quapaw homeland and the cultural conviction of that tribe. They want to do this in their homeland.”
