Imagine waking up on Super Bowl Sunday in Las Vegas and finding out that you had lost $500,000 playing blackjack and pai gow the night before. Making matters worse, some of that money you lost was borrowed from the casino, which would now like to discuss repayment.

That’s exactly what one California man said happened to him in February, when he spent the evening gambling (badly, it appears) at the recently opened Downtown Grand in Las Vegas.

Both he and the casino are now locked in a legal battle over the borrowed money from that wild weekend. He’s sued the casino, alleging it allowed him to gamble and continued to serve him drinks even though he was visibly intoxicated. And the casino is countersuing because the gambler has stopped payment on the marker for the money it loaned him to continue gambling.

The man’s lawyer claims his client was “blackout intoxicated” to the point where he couldn’t read his cards.

According to Nevada state gaming regulations, “Permitting persons who are visibly intoxicated to participate in gaming activity,” or “Complimentary service of intoxicating beverages in the casino area to persons who are visibly intoxicated” could be grounds for disciplinary action.

Of course, the amount of money lost in this suit is nothing compared to the $189 million that Nebraska businessman Terrance Watanabe lost during the course of a year to various Harrah’s casinos. In a legal battle over a $14 million advance from Harrah’s to keep him gambling, Watanabe claimed that employees were instructed to ply him with alcohol and prescription painkillers. That case was settled before trial in 2010.

Gambler sues, says he lost $500,000 playing drunk [Las Vegas Sun]

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