Casinos across the United States offer players the opportunity to gamble on a wide variety of games, from slots to blackjack, roulette and craps. For the most part, players bring a set amount of cash to play with and then head back to the hotel or home once they have burned through their money. However, for the high rollers, markers can be obtained to have more cash on hand to play. The cash of course must be paid back. For one NHL player, an unpaid marker of over $500,000 has caused a lawsuit to be filed.
Cosmopolitan Casino Wants Their Money
The Cosmopolitan Casino of Las Vegas provided San Jose Sharks player Evander Kane with $500,000 in gambling markers back in April. Here it is now November, and that amount has yet to be paid. The casino has decided to sue Kane for the marker amount as well as interest, legal fees and other costs, which come to about $15,000.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the casino gave Kane eight different markers. Each marker had a varying value, from $20,000 to $100,000. The markers were provided around mid-April. This was a time when the NHL Sharks team were in Las Vegas to play the Golden Knights during the playoff series. Other reports state that Kane took out a small market and then continued to increase the markers until he racked up the $500,000 in debt.
Markers are provided to individuals who are approved by the casino for the advance. It is not uncommon for sports players, celebrities and musicians to take out markers for several thousands of dollars for a few hours of gambling. In most instances, the money is paid back quickly and we never hear about it until a news report or pictures are exposed of the gambling activity.
Kane is a prolific player for the Sharks and recently signed a $49 million dollar deal with the team. He has yet to speak out on the lawsuit, and the Sharks have not commented as well.
Interestingly enough, Kane got into a fight with Knights player Ryan Reaves while in Vegas and playing against the team. During Game 3, Kane and Reaves fought, which was the night before the casino markers were given to Kane. Due to the scuffle, Kane is now considered an enemy among Knights fans.
The rivalry between the two continues this season, which saw Kane ejected after an altercation with a referee during a Knights game. The two teams played each other, and Reaves was disappointed that Kane would not be playing due to a suspension.
The smart decision would be to pay the amount and settle the debt with the casino. However, it seems that Kane sometimes acts irrationally, so he may not come to that conclusion. It will be interesting to see if he simply pays up or if he tries to fight the owed marker in court. The odds are in the Cosmopolitan’s favor and they should be victorious in their pursuit for the owed funds.
