Back in June of this year, a statement about the "worst nightmare" that Mike Gorodinsky dedicated to the Bellagio Casino appeared on Twitter. Just as a reminder, Mike is no no-name player, with over $4 million to his credit, and he even won WSOP Player of the Year in 2015. In addition to three titles from various Bahamas PCA events, he has three WSOP bracelets to his credit, including a valuable triumph in the challenging $50k Poker Players Championship. So what was the announcement all about?
"I went to Bellagio today to get to my box where I regularly put my money and valuables. But on arrival, I found that my key did not fit the lock, I could not open the box with it. The technicians who were called had to drill the box out, and when they opened it, there was a surprise - there was nothing inside. If anyone has any advice on what to do in this situation, please email me."
Went to Bellagio today to access my box and my key was stuck/not opening it. They wind up having to drill it and when they lift the box out, it’s empty. Extremely fucked up situation. If anyone has any insight on best steps/who to contact from here, please reach out.
— Mike Gorodinsky (@gordoMG) June 1, 2023
This announcement came on the first of June, but was followed by over a month of silence, so most of us assumed that the situation had somehow been resolved to our mutual satisfaction. But that didn't happen, as on July 15 Gorodinsky announced that he was "foolishly optimistic" that he had received no compensation, and that he was ready to talk to the media about it. Well, that's exactly what happened - Gorodinsky told PokerNews the whole story, which started with the fact that he used his pit at Bellagio on a regular basis: 'I liked the convenience and being able to keep my chips in the pit. After all, I don't like to travel to/from casinos all over Vegas with a lot of money on me. I used the box quite a bit over the years, but lately I've been playing less and less at Bobby's Room, so I've been using it sparingly. I was in my box on June 1 for the first time since June 28, 2022, as I wanted to withdraw funds to play WSOP events. My key got stuck, which has never happened to me before, and despite a half hour of effort by the staff, it could not be opened. A locksmith had to be called in to drill out the lock and when he opened the box, to my surprise, it was empty."
Many in the community automatically began to ponder the possibility that Mike's box had been empty all along. "I can say with great certainty that I did not leave my box empty the last time I visited it." The casino officials didn't hear from Mike for a week after the incident, but when they finally did, they announced the results of their check: "They said they found that I was the only person who had accessed my box in the last year. When I asked if it was just a coincidence that my key was stuck, or if they could give me any official statement on it (to protect other safe deposit box owners), they ended the conversation and I didn't hear from them again."
Mike's request for an official statement was heard a few days later when he received a call from a competent person in MGM Group's Risk Management Department: 'This person told me that although they have vetted me, confirmed an impeccable 15+ year reputation in the gambling industry and a great relationship with MGM Group, it doesn't make any difference to the matter at hand. The fact that when I open the box, after I've signed the liability release form, means I bear all the risks. Indemnifying someone in my position would set a precedent that would be detrimental to the operation of the casino in the future. They concluded everything by doing a realistic security check and it showed no foul play."
What might have happened will probably always remain a mystery, but Mike thinks that either someone emptied his box (knowingly/accidentally) due to inactivity, or his box may have been attributed to someone else who kept its contents. However, despite his belief that he has been wronged in this case, Mike has not decided to file a criminal complaint and pursue the matter in court. "I consulted many lawyers, but given that I was the only person who knew the contents of the box, that would be a one-sided claim. Considering the fees involved in such litigation, it would have cost me a lot of time, stress and money that no one would ever pay me back. Plus, there is precedent in which casinos can penalize players who file a lawsuit against them, and since I am a regular at MGM chain casinos, it's not worth it to me."
There's something good in all bad things, and despite losing, Mike doesn't feel too bad about his loss, "My only luck was that I left the least amount of chips I ever had in the box at the time of my last pick. I told security at the time that I had something between 45k-100k in there, yes I know that sounds like a huge amount of money to some, but in the world of high stakes gambling you often have a huge amount of money ready in the boxes to be able to play any game that may come up."
What do you think about the whole situation? What could have happened and what do you think would be a win/win solution to this problem for both parties? Let us know in the comments!
Source: PokerNews, Twitter, Fineartamerica
