March 2 —
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Los Angeles lawyer who claims he was thrown out of Las Vegas last year because he was too lucky has sued MGM Mirage in a bid to force the casino to warn prospective gamblers that they can be barred for winning too much.
Ernest Franseschi Jr., a frequent gambler, accused MGM officials of surreptitiously photographing him while he played blackjack at a high-stakes table at the chain's New York New York casino last March.
Franseschi claims casino officials circulated the photo to other Las Vegas casinos after he left the blackjack table with thousands of dollars in winnings.
When he returned about an hour later to resume playing, casino officials escorted him to the door and told him he was barred for life from MGM casinos.
Franseschi, who describes himself in the lawsuit as a "better than average blackjack player," said he was ejected from three other Vegas casinos on the same day within minutes of sitting down at the blackjack tables.
He sued MGM and its casinos in Los Angeles Superior Court for invasion of privacy, defamation and allegedly violating California's unfair business practices laws.
The lawsuit asks a judge to award Franseschi $74,000 and to force MGM to include a disclaimer on California advertising that reads, in part: "It is the policy and practice of MGM Mirage particularly to target skillful and/or winning players and bar such persons from gaming at our properties; only losing players and/or unskillful players ... are not subject to being targeted to be barred from MGM Mirage casino properties."
An MGM spokesman said the company was familiar with Franseschi and his lawsuit.
"This lawsuit has no merit and we are confident we will prevail," MGM Mirage spokesman Alan Feldman said. "We, like any other business, reserve the right to refuse service."
Franseschi, who plays blackjack as a hobby, said casino officials did not accuse him of cheating, but of counting cards to determine which had been played -- a practice that is not illegal.
"You don't even need to count cards. There are some obvious runs ... and it's patently obvious that there is nothing wrong with being able to figure that out," he said.
MGM Mirage, a top hotel and gaming company, owns and operates 14 casino resorts across the country and in Australia and the United Kingdom. @@@@
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Los Angeles lawyer who claims he was thrown out of Las Vegas last year because he was too lucky has sued MGM Mirage in a bid to force the casino to warn prospective gamblers that they can be barred for winning too much.
Ernest Franseschi Jr., a frequent gambler, accused MGM officials of surreptitiously photographing him while he played blackjack at a high-stakes table at the chain's New York New York casino last March.
Franseschi claims casino officials circulated the photo to other Las Vegas casinos after he left the blackjack table with thousands of dollars in winnings.
When he returned about an hour later to resume playing, casino officials escorted him to the door and told him he was barred for life from MGM casinos.
Franseschi, who describes himself in the lawsuit as a "better than average blackjack player," said he was ejected from three other Vegas casinos on the same day within minutes of sitting down at the blackjack tables.
He sued MGM and its casinos in Los Angeles Superior Court for invasion of privacy, defamation and allegedly violating California's unfair business practices laws.
The lawsuit asks a judge to award Franseschi $74,000 and to force MGM to include a disclaimer on California advertising that reads, in part: "It is the policy and practice of MGM Mirage particularly to target skillful and/or winning players and bar such persons from gaming at our properties; only losing players and/or unskillful players ... are not subject to being targeted to be barred from MGM Mirage casino properties."
An MGM spokesman said the company was familiar with Franseschi and his lawsuit.
"This lawsuit has no merit and we are confident we will prevail," MGM Mirage spokesman Alan Feldman said. "We, like any other business, reserve the right to refuse service."
Franseschi, who plays blackjack as a hobby, said casino officials did not accuse him of cheating, but of counting cards to determine which had been played -- a practice that is not illegal.
"You don't even need to count cards. There are some obvious runs ... and it's patently obvious that there is nothing wrong with being able to figure that out," he said.
MGM Mirage, a top hotel and gaming company, owns and operates 14 casino resorts across the country and in Australia and the United Kingdom. @@@@
