I gambled. I lost. Now gimme it back!!

**Meddle** · September-21-09, 04:27 AM

Longtime gambler wants losses from casino

Published: Sept. 20, 2009 at 2:22 PM

DETROIT, Sept. 20 [[UPI) -- A 61-year-old man says he wants a Detroit casino to return the $673,854 he lost at the site during a decade of regular gambling.

The Detroit News said Sunday that professional engineer Italo Mario Parise is suing the MotorCity Casino for allegedly failing to stop him from gambling once he endured significant losses.

Parise alleges in his Wayne County Circuit Court lawsuit, which is based around an obscure state statute called "gaming: action by loser," that casino officials did nothing to stop him from gambling despite his 1996 filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

Parise alleges casino official knew or should have known about his financial struggles during his 10-year gambling spree.

Attorney Deborah Brouwer, one of the lawyers representing MotorCity, said in a court filing a state provision allowing gamblers to recover losses "would be the death knell for the Detroit casinos, none of which would be able to remain in business if forced to return gambling losses to disgruntled gamblers."

Â© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2009/09/...3121253470926/

I don't think that's how it works there slick

Retroit · September-21-09, 07:39 AM

So if he would have won instead of lost, would he be willing to give his winnings back because he failed to stop himself from winning?

What an absolute idiot!

Thanks for clogging our courts and making the lawyers richer, you bozo!

**rb336** · September-21-09, 07:46 AM

if that law were still applicable, he would have a case, but the statute that created the D casinos has language the overrides all previous gaming laws

**JBMcB** · September-21-09, 09:49 AM

Even if the statue is still in effect, I would think that he would have to prove that the casino knew about his financial difficulties. I would think that would be very hard to prove. Maybe he did tell a few dealers he was having problems, but I would think he would have to remember their names, and they'd have to remember if he told them anything, out of the thousands of people they deal with every week.

Good luck with that one.

**daddeeo** · September-21-09, 10:05 AM

I think he's rolling snake eyes on that legal gamble.

**bailey** · September-21-09, 10:11 AM

I didn't read the law, but I am really pulling for a ridiculous outcome of the judge siding with the claimant here. The resultant chaos would be entertaining. We can't get our state legislature or worthless governor to make hard choices about basic funding and taxation, but I bet they'd get this fixed within 48hours of an adverse ruling.

**Sstashmoo** · September-21-09, 10:29 AM

Quote: "but I bet they'd get this fixed within 48hours"

Like the banks getting bailed out.

Anyone stupid enough to lose 3/4 mil, needs to. Maybe his past employer should sue him for making too much, and ask for it back.

**agirlintheD** · September-21-09, 10:40 AM

Incredible that he remembered the exact amount he lost...$673,854. Gee, if you rearrange the order, it's 3-4-5-6-7-8. How elementary.

**jcole** · September-21-09, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by bailey

I didn't read the law, but I am really pulling for a ridiculous outcome of the judge siding with the claimant here. The resultant chaos would be entertaining. We can't get our state legislature or worthless governor to make hard choices about basic funding and taxation, but I bet they'd get this fixed within 48hours of an adverse ruling.

It's highly unlikely that any judge is going to side with this guy. Doing so would open the floodgates for other law suits like it. You'd have everybody that has lost in the last 10 years at any one or all of the three Detroit casinos beating a path to the nearest law office and the courts would be jammed for the next 50 years.

**bailey** · September-21-09, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by jcole

It's highly unlikely that any judge is going to side with this guy. Doing so would open the floodgates for other law suits like it. You'd have everybody that has lost in the last 10 years at any one or all of the three Detroit casinos beating a path to the nearest law office and the courts would be jammed for the next 50 years.

Which is why I said it would be highly entertaining.

**Danny** · September-21-09, 01:29 PM

The gambler can't sue the caSINo for the lose of its fortune. It tried its luck on the shot machine and the black jack tables and he lost it all. That's its choice and it had it deal with it.

WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET.

So much for lady luck!

**Jimaz** · September-21-09, 03:14 PM

The Detroit News version of the story mentions that his attorney's website has more information.

More [[plus a Fox 2 video) at mlive.

You'd think an engineer would know better than to get into a fix that deep.

Does anyone know where to find the text of MCL 600.2939? Google can't seem to find it.

**Jimaz** · September-21-09, 03:19 PM

Oops. Here it is: MCL 600.2939.

**EastsideAl** · September-21-09, 04:49 PM

He's obviously an addicted gambler. So his profession, intelligence, or level of education is really beyond the point, except insofar as they allowed him to get enough money to gamble away such a huge amount.

This sort of thing is part of the experience of having casinos in our midst. They are like a big glowing mound of heroin to the addicted gambler, and a significant portion of their repeat business comes from them. And he is in part right that the casinos consciously market to that audience, while throwing up a few little signs around town with Gamblers Anonymous' phone number on it to cover their asses. Not that this man may not have found some other way to gamble somewhere else, but having casinos available in his local area definitely enabled him to indulge his addiction.

All of which is not to say that he should get his money back. He is obviously in deep denial, and has enough funds remaining to have an attorney indulge him in it. But the very first lesson you learn in recovery is to accept responsibility for your actions and their consequences, and not to blame them on others.

**Grundyke** · September-21-09, 11:55 PM

Originally Posted by agirlintheD

Incredible that he remembered the exact amount he lost...$673,854. Gee, if you rearrange the order, it's 3-4-5-6-7-8. How elementary.

Casino's keep track of your play through player cards and your drivers license. They can tell you what you have won or lost everytime you have been there for the year [[within a few dollars of course). This is so you can pay your taxes on your winnings or you can claim your losses.

**xphillipjrx** · September-22-09, 02:27 PM

It's really sad to see the addicts. I worked at NBD 15 years ago when it was just the casino in Windsor. People would come in for account maintenance and I'd see endless withdrawals from Bank of Montreal where they hit the ATM. It would always be for some odd dollar and cents amount due to the conversion and then $2 fee for each withdrawal.

**rb336** · September-22-09, 02:54 PM

MICHIGAN GAMING CONTROL AND REVENUE ACT [[EXCERPT)
Initiated Law 1 of 1996

432.203 Casino gaming authorized.

[[3) Any other law that is inconsistent with this act does not apply to casino gaming as provided for by this act.

http://tinyurl.com/kpe3je

and thus sanketh Italo Mario Parise's lawsuit

**RealityCheck** · September-25-09, 11:09 AM

Wayne Circuit Court Judge Michael Sapala this morning [[Friday, Sept. 25) denied a motion to order MotorCity to repay $673,854 lost by 61-year-old gambler Italo Parise of Center Line.

"This is a very easy, simple and straightforward decision: It is the public policy of the state -- whether you agree with it or not -- that casino gambling is legal."

He set an Oct. 16 hearing to consider a casino motion for sanctions on attorney Frank Cusumano Jr. for filing what it calls a "frivolous" case.

[ Hat tip: Jennifer Chambers, The Detroit News ]

**1KielsonDrive** · September-28-09, 12:27 AM

The casinos are legalized robbery. If gambling is legal, why not marijuana and prostitution? As soon as politicians figure out a way to get their mitts on the money from marijuana and prostitution, and wrangle more money from law enforcement, they'll do it in a second.