NewsWhore
03-10-2008, 02:30 PM
Will the personal tragedy of a Dominican-American victim of gambling addiction change the gaming industry? The New York press is focusing on the story of lawyer Arelia Taveras, who successfully worked with AA587 victims' families, and is now suing casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City for her gaming addiction. She has sued seven casinos for US$20 million on the grounds that they should bear some responsibility for her compulsive gambling. Gambling destroyed her previously successful legal career and has placed her deeply in debt.
The case raises the question of where the line should be drawn between personal responsibility and a paternalistic society. There are laws on the books where bartenders can be held liable if they knowingly serve alcohol to a drunk customer who may later drive intoxicated. Additionally, the tobacco industry has already had to settle class-action lawsuits brought by governments of individual states in the 1990s because of the argument that the tobacco companies knew the cigarettes were addictive and didn't do enough to warn of the adverse effects. They sued to recover health costs and won a big settlement against the tobacco industry.
Casinos are well known for using security intelligence to monitor gamblers to check for fraudulent gambling.
According to her story, the casinos were well aware of a five-day non-stop gambling binge that she went on in 2005 and didn't stop her. It is likely to be a tough case for her to prove in court, but a judge already declared that two of the six casinos have enough detailed information that would enable the lawsuit to go through.
Taveras told DR1 that she started the lawsuit for the following reasons:
1. Every state with a casino should have a treatment facility, "if they create junkies, then they should provide junkie treatment;
2. We need casinos to acknowledge that they owe a duty of care to gamblers when they are in their casinos;
3. We need mandatory exclusions (from 30-60 days) when gamblers admit they may have a problem with gambling at any casino;
4. We need to revamp reporting requirements;
5. Casinos need sensitivity training so that they recognize compulsivity when they see it;
6. Limits need to be placed on how much time a person gambles, I gambled for 3-4 days without sleeping or eating. That is compulsive. (For more on her case, see www.mycasinolawsuit.com)
Meanwhile, the case has met with US press interest, and she appeared on Good Morning America today. The New York Post, Associated Press and New York Daily News all have carried stories on the lawsuit.
www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/MindMoodNews/story?id=4420153&page=1 (http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/MindMoodNews/story?id=4420153&page=1)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#17)
The case raises the question of where the line should be drawn between personal responsibility and a paternalistic society. There are laws on the books where bartenders can be held liable if they knowingly serve alcohol to a drunk customer who may later drive intoxicated. Additionally, the tobacco industry has already had to settle class-action lawsuits brought by governments of individual states in the 1990s because of the argument that the tobacco companies knew the cigarettes were addictive and didn't do enough to warn of the adverse effects. They sued to recover health costs and won a big settlement against the tobacco industry.
Casinos are well known for using security intelligence to monitor gamblers to check for fraudulent gambling.
According to her story, the casinos were well aware of a five-day non-stop gambling binge that she went on in 2005 and didn't stop her. It is likely to be a tough case for her to prove in court, but a judge already declared that two of the six casinos have enough detailed information that would enable the lawsuit to go through.
Taveras told DR1 that she started the lawsuit for the following reasons:
1. Every state with a casino should have a treatment facility, "if they create junkies, then they should provide junkie treatment;
2. We need casinos to acknowledge that they owe a duty of care to gamblers when they are in their casinos;
3. We need mandatory exclusions (from 30-60 days) when gamblers admit they may have a problem with gambling at any casino;
4. We need to revamp reporting requirements;
5. Casinos need sensitivity training so that they recognize compulsivity when they see it;
6. Limits need to be placed on how much time a person gambles, I gambled for 3-4 days without sleeping or eating. That is compulsive. (For more on her case, see www.mycasinolawsuit.com)
Meanwhile, the case has met with US press interest, and she appeared on Good Morning America today. The New York Post, Associated Press and New York Daily News all have carried stories on the lawsuit.
www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/MindMoodNews/story?id=4420153&page=1 (http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/MindMoodNews/story?id=4420153&page=1)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#17)