A Las Vegas resident, Joel Vargas-Guitierrez, has filed suit against the Bellagio, alleging negligence and inadequate security after he was assaulted by three individuals attempting to claim his slot machine winnings.
As part of the lawsuit — filed on October 3 in Clark County District Court and first reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Tuesday — Vargas-Gutierrez is also suing his three alleged assailants (two men and one woman) for assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The suit seeks damages exceeding $15,000, plus attorney fees, court costs, interest, punitive damages, and other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Incident Details
According to the complaint, on December 12, 2024, Vargas-Gutierrez, a regular Bellagio patron, won a $2,600 jackpot on a “Mummy”-themed slot machine. Due to the size of the payout, standard casino protocol required him to wait for an attendant to verify and process the winnings.
While waiting, according to Vargas-Gutierrez, he moved to a nearby slot machine to continue playing. During this time, three individuals approached the original slot, saw the jackpot display, and loudly proclaimed they were entitled to the winnings.
As Vargas‑Gutierrez attempted to resolve the dispute, the complaint alleges, one of the men advanced toward him in a threatening manner. Outnumbered, he took a swing in self‑defense, sparking a physical altercation that a bystander attempted to break up.
No security personnel were present for any of this, according to the filing.
The woman in the group then slapped Vargas‑Gutierrez, triggering a second confrontation in which he was tackled to the ground by her two accomplices, the complaint states.
Security guards allegedly arrived only after the altercation had escalated significantly.
“As a direct result of the incident, Mr. Vargas‑Gutierrez has suffered physical injuries, and mental and emotional distress which required professional medical treatment and he continues to deal with these symptoms to the present day,” the lawsuit states.
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