- Denise Ezell is suing MGM Resorts International for refusing to pay a $127,000 jackpot.
- The casino is claiming she was trespassing due to a prior incident but she asserts it was a misunderstanding.
- Ezell continued to gamble at the casino for years without issue until her recent win.
DETROIT – A Michigan woman has taken legal action to secure a $127,000 jackpot that MGM Resorts International declined to pay, alleging that she was trespassing due to a past panhandling incident, which resulted in her being banned from the casino.
The plaintiff, Denise Ezell, clarified in her federal court complaint on Wednesday that the 2015 incident was not panhandling but a quarrel with her cousin. On October 30, Ezell visited an MGM casino in Detroit and won the jackpot while playing progressive blackjack. After verifying her win and presenting her ID, a manager informed Ezell that she would not receive her winnings due to her trespassing status.
According to the complaint, Ezell was bewildered by the trespassing accusation, as she was unaware of any such status.
The manager referenced an eight-year-old incident at a blackjack table. At that time, she was escorted out of the blackjack casino and told her ban would last 24 to 48 hours.
Ezell's complaint noted, "Plaintiff was never given any formal notice of a permanent ban from MGM's casino," and mentioned that she continued to gamble at the casino over the years, particularly enjoying Progressive Blackjack.
Ezell was advised to contact the security department for clarification. Initially, a security team member reassured her that she would receive her real money blackjack winnings but later mentioned that the issue had escalated beyond their authority.
Ezell is suing MGM for breach of contract for not honoring the jackpot payout. Ezell's attorney, Ivan Land, expressed his client's surprise and disappointment to Law360, highlighting her loyalty to MGM over the years.
"My client finds it extremely unfair that after eight years of gambling at MGM, they used an old incident to deny her jackpot without any formal notice of a lifetime ban," Land said.
The case, Ezell v. MGM Resorts International, is filed under case number 2:24-cv-11658 in the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan Southern Division.