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Woman Sues Las Vegas Casino Over Compulsive Gambling

A woman who says she lost her legal career, family and home to an addiction is filing a $20 million  lawsuit.

The case is being watched closely in Nevada because it involves a gambling addition and the targets of the lawsuit are casinos.

Action News anchor Steve Wolford looks at the details behind the suit.

Arelia Taveras once had the career of her dreams as a successful lawyer earning hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

Taveras said, "I had a thriving practice. I had many friends it was a nice existence. "

To blow off steam she enjoyed fun filled gambling weekends in Atlantic City, but over time those weekends became weeks and the days soon turned into very dark nights.

"I realized it was an addiction when I was losing all that money and breaking out in sweat, it went from every month, to every week, to every day," explained Taveras.

During one five day gambling jaunt she says she lived on nothing but the orange juice and Snickers bars she received from the casino staff.

"I was sitting there for days at a time. I used to use wipes to brush my teeth in the bathroom, " explained Taveras.

Two and a half years later she hit bottom, gambling away almost a million dollars and losing her home and her job.

She even admits stealing money from the escrow accounts of her clients.

"You do not think you are stealing when you are an obsessive gambler, said Taveras.

Now she is suing six casinos in Atlantic City and one in Las Vegas for $20 million claiming the casinos had a duty to notice her compulsive gambling and cut her off.

The casinos deny any wrongdoing, maintaining that Taveras brought on the problems herself.

Keith Whyte explains, "I think that where the casino's responsibility begins and ends is an open question. We would say that there has to be shared responsibility. Of course the gambler has to take responsibility for their own actions. They have to take responsibility that if they have an uncontrollable urge to gamble, they need to go get help, they need to go get treatment."

An estimated 6 to 9 million Americans have a gambling problem and Taveras is hoping her lawsuit will help put the responsibility for this addiction on the casino owners.

"The casino thinks because you put a sign on the door it is enough but it is not. These people have surveillance where they watch you, they protect themselves from you, but you should be afforded the same protection from them," said Taveras.

Last month, a judge dismissed 4 of the 6 casinos from the suit on technical grounds.

Tavares plans to refile in April.

The judge ruled the suit against the Resorts Atlantic City and the MGM Grand in Las Vegas can proceed because the allegations are more specific.

Stay tuned to Action News as we track developments in this lawsuit.