William Bennett considering lawsuits against casinos

The Las Vegas Review-Journal ^ | Tuesday, July 29, 2003 | ROD SMITH

[Willie Green]

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.

Morals czar William Bennett is considering filing lawsuits against Las Vegas casino companies that may have leaked documents detailing his gambling habits.

Bennett, the architect and leading advocate of Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" anti-drug campaign, was outed in the May issue of The Washington Monthly magazine as a gambler who has wagered -- and lost -- millions over the past decade at Bellagio and Caesars Atlantic City.

During a 60-minute interview with Tim Russert on CNCB this weekend, the former education secretary complained his privacy rights had been "deliberately damaged" while also mocking Las Vegas' latest national marketing campaigns.

"By the way, there's a commercial on that people may have seen about Las Vegas, that 'What happens here stays here.' Well, not in my case. Some people there were trying to do me great harm," Bennett said.

The "What happens here" ad campaign is part of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority's latest marketing campaign to boost tourism to the city.

He argued the magazine report stemmed from the release of "some documents" by the casinos themselves which was not legal and violated his privacy rights.

He alleges documents were selectively leaked to create a false impression that he had a gaming problem.

While Bennett did not dispute the legitimacy of the documents and said he had no problem with the reporters who have written stories on his gambling, he told Russert the release of the information was not legal and he is looking into the possibility of legal action against the casinos.

On Monday, Bennett declined to comment further on the possibility of legal action against the casino companies.

Spokesmen for Park Place Entertainment Corp. , owner of the Caesars Atlantic City, and MGM Mirage, which operates Bellagio, declined comment.

Industry insiders have said details in The Washington Monthly article suggest the data about Bennett's gambling habits might actually have come from documents produced by Central Credit, a subsidiary of First Data Corp. of Greenwood Village, Colo.

Central Credit, which has denied being a source of the documents, is the gaming industry equivalent of credit reporting agency TRW. It allows member casinos to run credit checks on debts, marker activity and repayment habits of casino customers.

Industry experts and civil liberties attorneys doubt Bennett has a cause of action.

Las Vegas professor and casino gambling expert Bill Thompson said Bennett's privacy rights "were violated. I think he has a beef, but I don't know if he has a legal argument."

Allen Lichtenstein, general counsel for the Nevada chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said "It might be good policy, but in the absence of some policy or contract, it does not appear there is a cause of action," he said.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Trust me. If Bennett is going to McDonald's, he's not ordering Happy Meals. LOL

[lelio]

In the eyes of Christ, I'm willing to bet you aren't better than Bennett

Bill wants a piece of that action.

[Bluntpoint]

If Jenny Craig wore a corsett, I would want to know.

[Republic]

Absolutely. He earned the money, he enjoys playing the odds, he should do it all he wants and he should be able to trust the casinos to keep his enjoyment PRIVATE. He was brutalized for something that hurt no one. No one. If he wants to spend his money on horse racing, gambling in a casino, planting corn fields, taking world excursions, WHATEVER, that is HIS BUSINESS.

If this is done correctly-some INTERESTING NAMES are going to surface. Bet on it! (000ps----there I go-gambling!)

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

ROTFL (very good reply)

[Bluntpoint]

Bill wants a piece of that action.

But could you keep that information "in house?"

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Now you've done it. Twenty-five people are going to insist you repent, and even if you do, they'll keep talking about it. ; )

[Twinkie]

When we don't keep our noses clean, everybody
starts noticing our noses are dirty no matter how
much we try to cover it up.

[Bluntpoint]

Twinkee, that comment gave me a real Ho Ho!

You remind me of my sister "Lil Debbie."

[Search4Truth]

I've always felt that Mr. Bennett lacked the humility that is part of virtue he pretended to extol.

What a pathetic little man he's turned out to be.

[swarthyguy]

It's really not about the gambling.

What it is about is this self-righteous, pompous, windy, gasbag of a cock-a-doodle-crowing rooster who went around berating all who did not cotton to his sanctimonious preachings.

If he wasn't such a ninnynanny scold, no-one would care he lost 8 mill on the gambling tables.

Remember, at first he denied the whole thing.

"I did not gambling relations with that casino".

[Bluntpoint]

For me, the act of gambling alone does not bother me.

From accounts I read elsewhere, his gambling showed real signs of a lack of restraint.

And I do view restraint as a virtue.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

What it is about is this self-righteous, pompous, windy, gasbag of a cock-a-doodle-crowing rooster who went around berating all who did not cotton to his sanctimonious preachings.

I would have imagined only liberals would have described him this way. I always loved the guy. Watching him lose his patience on the Sunday shows was great. (And I'm not being sarcastic about that - he expressed what most of us were feeling...no post-debate "let's do lunch" and a handshake - just utter disgust with the Democrats.)

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

His WEIGHT shows a lack of restraint...but did you respect him even though he's heavy?

[Twinkie]

Gambling is addictive. Just when we get to thinking
something is harmless, dern if we don't find
ourselves addicted to it. Then we start needing the
high. We start spending the kids' milk money on our
habit sooner or later. We get to where we can't get
enough of the high. We run credit cards up, we
spend money on gasoline getting to Tunica every week.
We buy lottery tickets and get mad at God because He
won't let US win just once. We have to buy special
clothes just so we'll look like a high roller at
Tunica. We hate the feel of the sticky handle on the
one armed bandit where the last poor sucker that played
it was eating a Goo Goo Cluster because that was all he
could afford in the way of carry-out food. We keep
telling ourselves the 99 cent buffet special makes up for
the $550 we keep losing week after week. We feel all
yukky sitting there in the dim flashy lights knowing we
won't have money for the kids to have milk on their
Cheerios tomorrow morning. We secretly hate the blousy
woman who just struck the jackpot on the sticky handled
one armed bandit we only recently played. . . . and on
and on it goes. I'm a Daughter Of An Anzio Vet and surely
he didn't lay down his life for me to have the freedom
to let cruddy stuff hold dominion over me - - -
Shopping, Gambling, Likker, Dope, Sex, - - - Nothing.
There's "Freedom To", then there's "Freedom From" - - -

[Bluntpoint]

Actually, he always struck as a self-important, condescending, churlish and phoney prig.

While I did agree with most of his underlying philosphy.

Now ask me what I think about your mom?

[hchutch]

Agreed. The documents were leaked. This was not some tip to a gossip columnist. This was the leaking of apparently confidential documents to an investigative reporter.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Wow. (Did all that happen to Bennett?)

Why don't any of you guys care that he's so overweight?

[Bluntpoint]

99 cent buffet?

So he also got fat on gambling.

Two time loser in my book.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Now ask me what I think about your mom?

What do you think of my mom?