Man says two Las Vegas casinos let him lose money while intoxicated

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Two Las Vegas casinos are being sued for allegedly allowing an intoxicated California man to gamble away more than $1 million.

According to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court, executives of the Las Vegas Hilton and Mandalay Bay knew Stephen Roel was drunk and yet still gave him hundreds of thousands of dollars in credit.

In exchange for his gambling at the Hilton, the lawsuit claims executives agreed to pay for his roundtrip flight from San Diego, his lodging, food and beverages and extend him a $50,000 credit line.

On the weekend of Sept. 29-30, Roel claims that he was drinking heavily and betting ''irrationally and erratically'' from the time he walked in the door with $117,000.

The suit claims executives should have known or did know Roel was inebriated when he was given a line of credit for about $840,000.

The behavior by Hilton executives' violated their own policy and the regulations of the Nevada Gaming Commission, the lawsuit contends.

Las Vegas Hilton spokesman Alan Hopper declined to comment, citing a corporate policy not to discuss pending litigation.

During that same weekend, the suit claims, someone affliated with Mandalay Bay arranged for Roel to stay at that hotel-casino. Once he was there, executives extended him a $100,000 line of credit despite knowing he was drunk.

The plaintiffs also contend in the suit that Mandalay Bay executives continued to extend Roel credit after his wife and sister flew in and asked them not to accept his bets, extend his credit line or serve him drinks.

Roel claims he is now being threatened with criminal prosecution through the Clark County district attorney's office and a referral to the TRW Credit Reporting Agency.

Roel entered a treatment center since that weekend and is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, recovery of the money he bet that weekend and forgiveness of the debts. He also wants the Hilton and Mandalay Bay to be prevented from seeking criminal prosecution and from reporting him to TRW.