Sports Agent Sues MGM Resorts Over Allegedly Spiked Drink

A judge has denied MGM Resorts’ motion for a summary judgment in a case involving Dwight Manley, a real estate investor and former sports agent of Dennis Rodman. In his complaint, Manley stated that he was offered a spiked drink during a visit to an MGM property.

Manley Says He Signed a Credit Deal While Drugged

Manley’s claim stems from his visit to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in December 2021. An avid bettor and loyal MGM VIP client, Manley was a regular who was invited to stay at the MGM Mansion, an area featuring private suites and villas reserved for high rollers.

Manley says that on December 10, 2021, at approximately 1:45 pm, he ordered an Old Fashioned cocktail. He immediately noticed that the drink tasted bitter, but finished it regardless. By the time he ordered a second, he was starting to feel confused.

Manley’s claim states that he broke a glass ashtray and cut his hand, but was not offered any medical assistance beyond a few band-aids. To top it all off, he was offered a credit of up to $3.5 million.

The player ended up spending $2 million on blackjack before returning to the villa, where he passed out. On the following day, Manley suspected that he could have been drugged. After checking with a doctor, he was told that it is possible that he was poisoned with ketamine.

The Case Will Proceed to Trial

In addition to previously offering a $1 million reward to whoever could identify the hypothetical poisoner, Manley initiated a lawsuit against MGM. His attorney, Paul Hejmanowski, understood that this was not the first time someone had been drugged and that a similar thing had allegedly happened to 11 other people.  

MGM had filed a motion for a summary judgment, claiming that there was no evidence that the company or its employees had acted improperly.

However, Judge Miranda Du rejected the motion, allowing the case to proceed to trial. Du noted that the plaintiff has provided evidence to create a genuine issue of fact that the cocktail had been poisoned and that Manley had been drugged at the time he agreed to have his credit line raised by casino staff.