A New York man alleges MGM Resorts cheated him out of millions and encouraged his gambling addiction.
Sam Antar filed a lawsuit against Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, BetMGM, MGM Resorts, and a long list of unnamed employees in New Jersey Superior Court alleging fraud, breach of contract, and even RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) violations.
Antar says MGM online casino regularly timed out and erased winnings
Antar says from May 2019 through January 2020 he gambled online at B Online Casino for 6-8 hours a day, wagering over $29 million. Per the suit, Antar says the online casino site would regularly time out when he was on the verge of big payouts. When he went to B Casino staff to complain, he claims they plied him with a steady stream of bonuses, totaling more than $30,000 a month. These bonuses were, in his mind, hush money to keep him from taking his concerns to the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE).
Antar contends the company was also aware he was a problem gambler. He put himself on the self-exclusion list for a period of time before voluntarily removing himself at the end of 2018. The suit says Antar would often wager up to $5,000 on a single bet.
The suit claims numerous VIP hosts within the MGM organization communicated with him via text about the disconnection problems, seemingly agreeing with Antar’s assessment of the situation.
Antar facing fraud charges of his own from the SEC
Antar is familiar with fraudulent schemes. The Antar family is infamous for the Crazy Eddie securities fraud schemes of the 1980s. The plaintiff should not be confused with Crazy Eddie CFO Sam E. Antar.
This Antar, Sam A. Antar, had no involvement in Crazy Eddie. However, he was charged with his own fraud charges during the same period covered in the lawsuit. The charges alleged Antar defrauded a Syrian Jewish community out of at least half a million dollars. Antar claimed he would invest these funds into companies about to go public, then sell those shares back to the investors.
The SEC claim says Antar actually used the funds for gambling and paying for his daughter’s lavish wedding. Antar eventually plead guilty to theft by deception. He was convicted of fraud in another case back in 2013.
