Protect yourself at all times in a casino.

The Nevada Current reported that a Californian man scored a legal win in his years-long court fight against MGM, one of the world’s largest casino companies.

The case involves millions of dollars in gambling losses while allegedly under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Judge says MGM’s ketamine gambling case should go to a jury

• A federal judge says the lawsuit from former NBA agent Dwight Manley — who claims he was drugged with ketamine while playing blackjack on credit at MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 2021 — has enough evidence to proceed to trial.
• As of writing, a trial date remains undetermined as the parties hold settlement discussions.

Why does it matters?

• The ruling keeps alive a scandal alleging that MGM employees allegedly exploited an incapacitated gambler by sharply increasing his casino credit.
• Over the years, there have been numerous other legal cases involving casino losses and alcohol intoxication.
• Casinos usually prevail in court against gamblers who claim they were taken advantage of.

What happened recently in case

• U.S. District Judge Miranda Du denied MGM’s motion for summary judgment in February 2026.
• At a Feb. 25 hearing, Du said Manley had presented enough evidence to create a “genuine issue of fact” over whether a drink served by an MGM employee was spiked and left him incapacitated when he signed the credit instrument.

The backdrop

• Manley, a Southern California businessman, alleges MGM executives took advantage of his condition by raising his longtime casino credit line from $1 million to $3.5 million over the course of an afternoon.
• Court records say his erratic behavior was witnessed by friends and acknowledged by his longtime VIP host.
• A $1 million credit line is enormous, but well below that of other high-profile gamblers in Las Vegas.

The evidence in the Dwight Manley case

• He told the casino the next morning that he believed his drink had been spiked.
• A hair drug test found Manley had ingested ketamine.
• A medical expert said the ingestion likely occurred on Dec. 10, 2021 — the same day Manley says he became incapacitated while gambling.
• MGM argued the test covered a broader two-month period. Du said that the dispute goes to the weight of the evidence and should be decided by a jury.

What the judge said:

• Du said the surveillance footage showed the bartender using mostly prepared ingredients, then adding what appeared to be a single-serving ingredient, possibly a sugar packet.
• But, she said, the video does not conclusively prove that ketamine was not in the drink ingredients.

Zooming in

• Manley’s attorney said MGM resisted discovery efforts tied to prior customer drugging allegations.
• Even so, he told the court that MGM turned over 11 examples of patrons claiming employees drugged them.

A key detail

• Du also cited text messages from Manley’s casino host to MGM’s credit manager saying Manley looked “drunk or wasted” and was “a little wobbly” after getting up from the table.

MGM’s defense

• MGM’s attorney argued that the company has no civil liability for allowing a patron to overconsume alcohol, calling that an issue for gaming regulators.
• MGM also contends Manley fabricated the drugging claim to avoid paying roughly $3 million in gambling debt.
• The casino operator has a recent history of defeating gambler claims. In 2025, MGM scored a significant legal win in a case involving a patron’s problem gambling.

Image via Wikimedia Commons.