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Supreme Court Hears $125,000 Gambling Debt Case
Woman Claims Casino Knew About Addiction
POSTED: 12:22 pm EST November 12, 2009
UPDATED: 7:03 pm EST November 12, 2009
INDIANAPOLIS -- A case involving a woman who gambled and lost $125,000 at Caesars Riverboat Casino in 2006 has reached the Indiana Supreme Court.Jenny Kephart, of Nashville, Tenn., said the casino knew she had a gambling addiction, but still lured her to the facility to take advantage of her.Initially, Caesars sued Kephart in an effort to recover the gambling debt. Kephart countersued, and the casino filed a motion to dismiss.The motion to dismiss was argued before the Supreme Court Thursday morning, and Kephart was in attendance.Kephart's attorney, Terry Noffsinger, claimed the casino went to great lengths to entice his client."They offered her free transportation from hundreds of miles across two states. They offered her plane rides. They offered her suites with butlers," Noffsinger said. "It's pretty amazing what they do once they know somebody's got this issue. You are so well-liked by the casinos until you are out of money."The casino's attorney, Gene Price, said the casino had no special responsibility to protect Kephart from herself."Every single state and federal court of appeals that has considered this precise issue has ruled there is no special duty to a gambler who claims to have an addiction to gambling," Price said.Kephart declined an interview with 6News' Derrik Thomas.The court took the case under advisement. It's not clear when a ruling will be made.An appeals court ruled in March that Kephart failed to take advantage of programs that allow compulsive gamblers to have themselves banned from casinos.The casino is now Horseshoe Southern Indiana.
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