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Friday, March 29, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Winner Claims Casino Lets Stalkers Lurk

CLAYTON, Mo. (CN) - A man who won big at the blackjack table claims an East St. Louis casino allowed criminals to "openly" stalk him "throughout the Casino Queen and all the way to his home," where they shot and robbed him.

Mark Myers claims the Casino Queen knew of several "follow-home" robberies before his, but failed to take steps to insure its patrons' safety. The Casino Queen allows "a lurking predacious element that stalks winning patrons within the casino to ultimately rob the patron of his winnings," Myers says, and "chooses not to warn winning patrons of the dangerous odds that arise after receiving openly counted big cash winnings."

Myers says he won $17,500 at Casino Queen on April 12, 2009.

He says that while he drank and won big, two men "openly stalked" him for "several hours," and that the casino's security cameras recorded it. The men followed the cab he took home, where they beat, shot and robbed him, according to the complaint in St. Louis County Court.

"While gambling at defendant's casino, plaintiff Mark Myers was served several alcoholic beverages by employees of defendant despite his visibly intoxicated state," the complaint states.

"While plaintiff Mark Myers was gambling on defendant's premises, two suspicious persons watched plaintiff win a substantial amount of money. Defendant's surveillance cameras captured video footage of these two persons openly stalking plaintiff for several hours while he gambled.

"The security for defendant Casino Queen observed the two criminals openly stalking plaintiff Mark Myers on video camera but failed to intervene."

Myers claims the casino failed to offer him an alternative form of payment such as a check, did not offer a private place for the transaction, did not provide him a secure exit from the casino, did not warn him about the two people stalking him and drew attention to him by counting out his $17,500 and requesting that he fill out a W-9 form in front of other customers.

He says the injuries he suffered in the robbery cost him his job.

He seeks damages for negligence and premises liability. He is represented by Brent Sumner of St. Louis.

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