Poker Star Plans to Sue London Psychiatric Facility for Alleged Mistreatment

Tom Dwan, the American poker star, says he will take legal action against a mental health center in London. 

Dwan Accuses London Facility of Cutting off Outside Contact

Dwan claims the Park Royal Centre for Mental Health treated him during a recent two-week stay he did opt for. The high-stakes player says the facility did not give him medical care, cut him off from outside contact, and forced him to undergo treatment.

Dwan’s hospital stay in West London kicked off in late April, following what seemed to be a mental health issue. He jumped on social media while confined, sharing a bunch of worrying posts that hinted he thought people were watching him, drugging him, and that international agents were after him. He also said the police had roughed him up, claiming they had broken his rib and hand, but nobody has been able to check if that is true. 

After returning to the US, Dwan plans to sue the hospital and other parties involved. He is angry that the hospital ignored his legal rights, like talking to a lawyer and telling his family. He claims the staff took away his electronic devices soon after he shared a picture of a hospital employee online.

Poker Pro Dwan Claims Detention in London Violated His Legal Rights

The UK’s Mental Health Act allows authorities to hold people for evaluation or care if they have a mental health issue and might hurt themselves or others. Doctors can treat these patients without their consent in these cases. However, the law gives these patients rights, too, like getting legal help and appealing their detention. Dwan claims these rules were not adhered to in his case.

On his podcast, poker pro Daniel Negreanu hinted this might not be a one-off thing. He remembered past run-ins with Dwan that showed similar actions. Negreanu said Dwan sometimes had big ideas about himself. He also shared that Dwan once made him take out a phone battery before they talked, worried someone might listen in.

This new scandal comes after other recent issues for Dwan, including a public arbitration case in the previous year about an old poker debt. Though that financial problem got sorted out, whispers about bigger unpaid debts keep going around in poker circles.