In November of 2023, a player who had been a loyal customer of Pechanga's for more than 20 years, sat down at a blackjack table in the high limit area. After approximately 4 hours, Pechanga security arrested the player for being intoxicated in their casino. The player was taken to the Riverside County Jail and booked for public intoxication.

          When the player was released from jail the next morning, he took an Uber back to Pechanga to retrieve his vehicle. When he got back to Pechanga, he was informed that he had been banned for life. On the Uber ride back, the player noticed that his bank had sent him multiple text and email alerts regarding a $50,000 cash withdrawal that had taken place the night before at Pechanga. Since the player had a $1,500 daily cash withdrawal limit with no cash advance capabilities, he assumed that it was a mistake and he would have it corrected. The player had little recollection of the evening and no recollection of the transaction but he did know that it was not possible to withdraw $50,000 from a casino on a Sunday night. Pechanga provided the player with a receipt for a $50,000 transaction without a name or a signature. The player still had his debit card in his possession that morning. How could this have happened?

          With the assistance of the California Department of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) and the California Department of Justice (DOJ), the player learned that he was served 18-22 bourbons, or the equivalent of a full bottle, in that 4 hour period or 5 times the amount of alcohol ABC recommends should be safely served in 4 hours. The player's blood alcohol content (BAC) was a lethal, fatal and life threatening .36-.44%. Furthermore, the player learned that he had only been banned from gambling and being served even more alcohol because he had thrown money at the dealer to exchange for chips.

          The player also learned that in order to get the $50,000 transaction approved, Pechanga had circumvented his banking safeguards. Then in just 2 hours, the player lost the $50,000. To no one's surprise, the player has no recollection of the transaction or banishment and arrest and little recollection of playing blackjack. With a BAC of .36-.44%, the player had such acute alcohol poisoning and was in such a state of diminished capacity that he could not read the cards and certainly could not have understood the risks of withdrawing a portion of his retirement at a casino.

          Pechanga's Tribal Compact with the state of California specifically states that they will follow all alcohol laws and create and enforce a responsible gaming policy. The player has never gambled with such a staggering amount of money or for those stakes at Pechanga or any other casino ever. Even with the glaring signs of acute alcohol poisoning and a player in distress, if the player had not thrown the money at the dealer, inconceivably Pechanga would have continued to serve him more alcohol and facilitated access to even more of the player's retirement allowing the player to gamble himself into extinction. As an unnamed ABC Agent told the player, "as long as you have money and are gambling, they will continue to serve you regardless."

          The player's $500,000 lawsuit against Pechanga is available for review on the next page.