Reginald Blair 
A California man has filed a lawsuit against a Las Vegas casino, claiming he lost $500,000 while playing blackjack and pai gow. He claims that he was plied with drinks over a 17-hour gambling session.
Gambling addiction is not just a problem in the United States, but other countries too, such as Australia. Some of the biggest losses suffered by gamblers came from these locations.
1. Maureen O’Connor
Former San Diego Mayor Maureen O’Connor lost a fortune while feeding her video poker addiction. The daughter of the founder of fast-food chain Jack in the Box shocked the world in 2013 when she admitted embezzling $2.1 million from her late husband’s foundation to fund her gambling habit.
The 66-year-old former physical education teacher had a meteoric rise, winning a seat on the city council at age 25 and later becoming San Diego’s first female mayor. She charmed voters with a populist flair and helped spearhead major civic projects.
Her fall from grace came after she admitted to spending hours at casinos playing video poker, often betting thousands of dollars a hand. In a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, O’Connor promised to repay the foundation and seek treatment for her gambling problem. But four years later, she hasn’t paid a cent. A spokesman for her attorney, Eugene Iredale, says her medical condition has kept her from meeting her obligations.
2. John Daly
Golf has an air of status about it – the players are often dressed in designer clothes and broadcasters speak in hushed, reverent tones. John Daly, however, has always done things his own way and that has included a healthy appetite for gambling.
It’s estimated that he has lost between $50 million and $60 million gambling over the course of his career. He’s not alone, either. Here are some other infamous losers of casino money:
Charles Barkley is a legendary NBA figure thanks to his basketball success and big paychecks, but he’s also known for his addiction to gambling. He’s admitted to losing millions in casinos over the years, including a staggering $2.5 million in just six hours of blackjack play! His downfall is a reminder that even the wealthiest can fall prey to the allure of high-stakes betting. Omar Siddiqui was a high-flying vice president at a renowned electronics company until his reckless gambles resulted in him blowing $162 million at Vegas casinos over three years.
3. Terrance Watanabe
The family-owned Omaha party-favor company that Terrance Watanabe ran for decades turned him into a multimillionaire. He had a good head for business and was considered one of the Omaha richest people before his run of bad luck in 2007.
Watanabe racked up a staggering $127 million gambling losses at Caesars Palace and Rio hotel casinos in a single year. That equated to about 5.6% of the casinos’ total gambling revenue that year.
When Watanabe opened up to his sister about his problem, she packed up everything, brought him home and put him into treatment. He hasn’t set foot in a casino since and sold his Omaha mansion.
In his lawsuit against Harrah’s, Watanabe claimed the casino staff plied him with free alcohol and drugs as part of an orchestrated plan to keep him gambling. He was also offered a free three-bedroom suite, PS12,500 per month for transportation expenses, credit lines and tickets to the biggest Vegas shows and concerts.
4. Ashley Revell
In a scene that would be ripe for the big screen, 32-year-old Revell sold his house, car and personal possessions to place a £135,300 bet on red at the roulette wheel. Viewers on a Sky One reality show had urged him to back the colour said to symbolise sacrifice, danger and courage.
The ball spun, and it landed on red 7 at the Plaza Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. That spin turned into a life-changing $270,600 victory.
Dana White wins more than he loses, but the UFC CEO knows about losing big money in Vegas too. On a podcast interview with Lex Fridman, he recounted a night where too many drinks led to a seven-figure setback.
Kerry Packer was a man with enough money to finance a yacht, but he chose gambling as his obsession. While he did have some huge winning streaks, he was also known to blow through a lot of cash, often in the form of high stakes baccarat and craps bets.
