Arelia Margarita Taveras, a former New York City Attorney, had filed a $20 million racketeering lawsuit against seven casinos stating they had a duty to stop her from gambling. A federal judge has now ruled to dismiss the case stating Taveras failed to support her claim that gambling is a hazardous endeavor worthy of special protections.

Taveras now lives in Minnesota and she argued that the casinos saw that she had a gambling addiction but did nothing to stop her from gambling. She stated that she gambled nonstop for days at a time in the casinos and lost almost $1 million in less than a two year time period.

The judge wrote: “Playing blackjack, roulette or the slots bears no likeness to dumping toxic waste. She spends money on the bona fide chance that she might win more money. In short, she gambled.”

Taveras has stated that she plans to appeal the dismissal of her claim. She names Resorts Atlantic City, Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort, the Tropicana Casino Resort, the Showboat Casino Hotel, Bally’s Atlantic City and also the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in the lawsuit.

The above casinos have denied any wrong doing on their part and claim in court papers that Taveras brought her problems on herself. A written statement was released by the casinos that Taveras named in suit, it said: “The judge rendered an excellent decision consistent with New Jersey Law.”

After the decision was revealed, Taveras stated that: “New Jersey does not recognize that casinos have a duty of care to gamblers and people are dying because of it.”


- 2008-09-23