A Las Vegas local is suing the Bellagio over an incident that occurred after he won a $2,600 jackpot while playing a slot machine at the property. Joel Vargas-Gutierrez claims that three people attacked him on the gaming floor and that the property’s security didn’t intervene in time.
He is suing the MGM Resorts-owned casino for negligence and negligent security. He’s also suing his three alleged attackers for battery, assault, and intentionally inflicting mental distress.
moved to a nearby slot machine to keep gambling while he waited for the slot attendant
The complaint explains that Vargas-Gutierrez won the jackpot on December 12. When he moved to a nearby machine to keep gambling while he waited for a slot attendant to process the win, he noticed two men and a woman going up to the Egyptian-themed slot machine where he had hit the jackpot. They started celebrating loudly, claiming they had won.
The plaintiff tried explaining that he was the actual winner only to be met with “hostility and threats.” After one of the men stepped forward in a “threatening manner,” Vargas-Gutierrez says he had to defend himself, so he threw a punch at the aggressor, which sparked an altercation.
The lawsuit contends that security guards only appeared on the scene after the assault was well underway. Vargas-Gutierrez is looking for a judgment exceeding $15,000, all legal fees, interest, and punitive damages. He claims that he’s still dealing with mental distress and physical injuries stemming from the incident.
