Poker pro Scott Robbins has laid a suit on Atlantic City’s highest-grossing brick and mortar casino, Borgata after the casino resort allegedly banned the poker pro from the hotel premises for life. Last September, Poker Pro Robbins is said to have booked his stay at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa ahead of a poker tournament that was expected to take place within the premises.
While checking in, Robbins was asked which he would prefer- a room on the high floor or one on the low floor. Rather than answer the clerk plainly, Robbins instead asked a question: “If he had to jump from a high-floor window, would he make it?” The clerk concerned about the suggestion of suicide on grounds implored the poker pro not to end his life.
Rather than respond with a favorable answer, Robbins proceeded to make another equally exasperating joke asking the clerk if he would survive a leap to the lower floors if he did decide to jump. According to the suit, during both instances, the clerk expressed concern over Robbins but Robbins claims that he assured the clerk that he wouldn’t jump after all.
Ultimately, after assuring the clerk that suicide was not on his agenda, Robbins was finally given a room on the 30th floor. However, soon after checking in, Robbins was instructed by an armed security team that he would need to undergo a psychological evaluation if he wanted to remain within the hotel premises.
It was at this demand that an ambulance dropped him off at the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, where the poker pro was examined by a shrink who concluded that Robbins was not a danger to himself or others within the Borgata hotel. The problem with this examination is that it cost the poker pro almost $2,000 in transport and medical costs, which he was no to be reimbursed for.
But that’s not even the worst part. Upon receiving the all-clear he needed from the hotel, Robbins returned to Borgata only to find that his belongings had been removed from his room. In addition, Borgata then apparently slapped him with a ban for life before escorting him from the casino resort.
Now, Robbins is suing Borgata for a $1.25 million settlement. Why this amount specifically? According to Robbins, his removal from the hotel, which is where his poker tournament was scheduled, resulted in losses worth $200,000 in sponsorships. Additionally, as a result, he also lost $85,000 in potential poker winnings as a result of the lifetime ban, which now prevents him from attending any poker tournaments that will be held in Borgata in the future.
Robbins is also asking for $200,000 for false imprisonment by Borgata. Robbins also wants to be compensated for the healthcare bill he settled during his hospital evaluation with the psychiatrist. So far, neither Borgata nor its parent company, MGM Resorts International, has stepped up to comment on the litigation.
But this is no small issue to Borgata, which has dealt with suicides from hotel guests in previous years. For instance, in 2019, a 25-year-old male was found dead after he jumped from a broken window of the hotel’s 29th floor. As such, when the poker pro made a nasty joke about jumping to his death, the casino resort was forced to take it seriously.
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Atlantic City casinos are on the up and up
Despite the grueling year that casinos have had to endure, it appears that retail casinos in AC are finally on the brink of recovery. Overall, casinos in New Jersey have been performing better than most other casinos in the market, which is great news after the summer slowdown. To deal with the slowdown, sportsbooks have been forced to get creative mostly by relying on the NBA playoffs, as well as the range of baseball games being held.
Online and retail sportsbooks in New Jersey managed to generate $766.9 million in wagers this June. Although this was not a disappointing number, it was a 5.8% drop from the $814.3 million that was generated in May. Still, June’s revenue was higher than the $117.8 million that was generated last year at the thick of the pandemic.
In June, operators generated $71.3 million in gross gaming revenue, which is the highest amount that the operator has generated since sportsbooks generated their record amount in January 2021. Online casinos have become very popular during the pandemic and these levels have been sustained through the tough months. As a result, sportsbooks in New Jersey have emerged as some of the most successful ever since their advent in 2018.
Through the first 5 months of this year, casinos in the Garden State have generated at least $1.7 billion, which is a sharp increase from the 929.7 million that was generated last year during the same 5 months. This year, Borgata has emerged as the leading casino operator having managed to generate $48.67 million in revenue. Borgata’s online casino also generated $32.8 million thus topping the state in that vertical as well.
Following in the second position was Golden Nugget Online, which managed to generate $31.1 million in total winnings. Resorts Digital trailed in 3rd place producing a cool $21.5 million. In terms of brick and mortar revenue, Hard Rock Atlantic City stands as the second-highest earner, generating just a little under $35 million, followed by Bally’s which managed $12.3 million in revenue.
Final Thoughts
New Jersey sportsbooks have been fairing on well since the pandemic and they will likely continue to do so as time progresses. Borgata has remained at the top of the revenue table all through the year. However, if it wants to maintain that position, it will have to find a way to enhance its offering so that it can stand out against other competitors that are looking to knock it down from the top of the table. So far though, so good.
