Gambler sues Aria casino in Las Vegas after real-life experience similar to the movie "The Hangover!"
Michael Duke Thomson, a 64-year-old lawyer, filed a civil lawsuit against the Aria casino in Las Vegas after accumulating a debt of US$75 under circumstances that he claims were made while he was incapacitated. The lawsuit was filed Friday (12) in the US District Court in Nevada. Thomson claims he was drugged without his knowledge in January 2024, in a case reminiscent of the plot of the movie “The Hangover!”.
The lawyer, who currently resides in Puerto Rico, stated that his last memory on January 23, 2024, was leaving the high-stakes blackjack room at the Aria casino around midnight with several thousand dollars worth of chips. His next memory was of being handcuffed in the establishment's security office. According to Casino.org, a portal specializing in gambling news, cases like this raise questions about the responsibility of casinos to monitor the state of their customers during gambling.
In the lawsuit, Thomson alleges that he was drugged without his consent, leaving him unable to understand his actions. He argues that Aria employees allowed him to approve multiple credit indicators while he was visibly impaired, ignoring signs that “would be obvious to anyone.”
The incident occurred between the evening of January 23 and the morning of January 24. According to the lawsuit, after leaving the gaming table, Thomson intended to return to his room but passed out. He was later found sleeping in the casino's Sky Suites lounge.
Establishment employees said Thomson reacted violently upon being awakened and was detained around 11 a.m. on January 24. His lawyer claims he cashed a single check for $10 the night of the incident and paid it immediately. However, the following day, his VIP host informed him that there were eight outstanding bills totaling $75.
After the incident, Thomson was banned from entering the property. Approximately three months later, his bank alerted him that Aria had submitted the checks for payment. He instructed the institution not to honor them until it could investigate, resulting in five checks being returned as "Unauthorized" and three as "Insufficient Funds."
In November 2024, Thomson was accused of issuing bad checks and theft, and was arrested and released on bail. The criminal case was dismissed in October 2025 after he paid off his debts to avoid trial.
The process does not clarify whether Thomson was actually drugged and, if so, who would be responsible. There is also no information about what substances were used or how they were administered.
In his civil suit, Thomson accuses Aria and its parent company, MGM Resorts, of negligence, unjust enrichment, and malicious prosecution. "It is unfair for Aria to withhold funds obtained under these circumstances," he states in the document. The text adds that "The plaintiff failed to reasonably understand the nature and consequences of his actions and transactions during this period, as Aria knew or should have known."
