Indiana Supreme Court Hears Predatory Casino Case
A case in which a woman says an Indiana casino pursued her business even though she is a gambling addict advanced to the state Supreme Court.. Lawyers for the player said that Caesars Indiana had targeted her as a compulsive gambler, enticing her to gamble beyond her means and control.Plaintiff's attorney Terry Noffsinger told the court that casinos have a responsibility to protect individuals from themselves, a concept that has been rejected by courts worldwide. While rulings have supported penalties against some casinos that were found to have purposely ignored problem gamblers' attempts to stay clear, casinos have not been found to have an obligation to act when the compulsion may be unknown to them.
Defense lawyers said that Indiana has systems in place to monitor and protect casino customers who believe they have compulsive gambling issues. Gaming operators are supplied with a list of self-banned players, which they are required to respect. But casinos cannot be expected to determine whether patrons have problem gambling tendencies without notification, it was argued.
Jenny Kephart, a resident of Nashville, says the casino, now renamed Horseshoe Southern Indiana, knew she had compulsive gambling problems and still went out of its way to lure her back to gamble more. But Kephart never placed herself on the excluded list.
The court will rule on the case after the new year. Lower court verdicts held in favor of the casino and asserted no legal breach had occurred.
