New Jersey's Division of Gaming Enforcement declares unshuffled Baccarat at Golden Nugget as acceptable.
The Golden Nugget Casino in New Jersey can finally relax, as the Atlantic City casino has been acquitted of any wrongdoing in a million-dollar lawsuit. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) has declared the mini-baccarat game legal after a two-year investigation.
Let's rewind to 2012 when players at Golden Nugget spotted an odd deck of cards while playing mini-baccarat. The cards were unusually shuffled and repeated themselves every 15 hands. The players increased their bets up to $5,000, resulting in winning 41 hands in a row and taking home a whopping $1.5 million. The casino acted fast and called the State Police and the DGE, but not before paying out $500,000 of the $1.5 million in winnings.
It later emerged that the cards should have been sent from the manufacturer, Gemaco, already shuffled in a machine that uses complex algorithms to ensure each deck was unique. But something went awry and this particular deck somehow slipped through the system.
As the gamblers sued to have their winnings restored and claimed illegal detention by the casino, while the casino argued for the return of the $1 million it had paid out. The recent decision by the DGE could influence the ongoing court battle in which the Golden Nugget was winning the crown.
Fair and Square
The DGE determined that the casino and players had not acted improperly and there was no proof of any collusion, cheating, or manipulation. However, it also affirmed that the game itself was within the bounds of New Jersey gaming laws.
The DGE's statement said, "The Division has determined that the game offered by Golden Nugget on April 30, 2012, at table MB-802 was a legal and valid game under the New Jersey Casino Control Act. There is absolutely no evidence that the players or casino personnel involved in the game were involved in any sort of collusion, cheating, or manipulation to affect the results of the game."
It continued, "While the DGE has determined the game was legal, this is a stance that could be challenged by a court."
Opinion or Rule?
Two years ago, a preliminary court ruling went in favor of the gamblers. However, the Golden Nugget wanted to appeal, and owner Tilman Fertitta initially dismissed this plan but later changed his mind upon the insistence of his lawyers. Certain gamblers, though, refused to drop their claims of illegal detention against the casino, forcing the casino to proceed with its appeal.
In the latest court hearing in June, the Judge sided with the Golden Nugget. The casino's lawyer Louis Barbone argued that the legality of the game relied on whether it was a "game of chance" and whether the game was "fair." Since the outcome of the game was predetermined by the deck, he said, it could not be categorized as a game of chance.
Barbone commented on the recent DGE ruling, "We disagree with the DGE. We think it's an opinion that has no binding authority. This is a legal conclusion that needs to be made by a court, and I think that's where this needs to go."
The battle continues.
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