In the parlance of Las Vegas, Orange County real estate developer Dwight Manley is a “whale.”
An expert coin collector and former sports agent who represented NBA bad boy Dennis Rodman, Manley could be counted on to bet big. And on one particularly ugly afternoon at an MGM Grand Resort and Casino blackjack table, he took a multimillion-dollar hit that he blames on a drink spiked with a tranquilizer used on animals.
Manley, 57, of Brea has filed a federal lawsuit against MGM Resorts International for consumer fraud and negligence, claiming the casino kept extending his credit millions of dollars even though his behavior had become visibly erratic after someone allegedly put ketamine in his old fashioned cocktail. On Thursday, Oct. 12, his representatives announced a $500,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who drugged him.
Meanwhile, Manley remains on the hook for at least $2.4 million in credit debt, according to his lawsuit, which was filed in November 2022 and amended in July.
“Mr. Manley feels that a serious criminal act was directed at him which potentially put his life in danger,” said one of Manley’s attorneys, Richard K. Howell, on Friday, Oct. 13. “He is determined to do all that he can to track down and hold accountable those responsible.”
Howell would not comment further. Lawrence J. Semenza, the attorney for MGM Resorts International, declined comment.
30-year relationship with casino
According to court documents, Manley had a 30-year relationship with the MGM Grand, where he was treated like a VIP and offered free lodging, food, drink and access to a high-limit salon, where he played alone at the blackjack table. He also was allowed credit advances while gambling by signing “markers.”
On his most recent trip, Manley and his entourage left Orange County on Dec. 10, 2020, on a private plane provided by the casino, said the lawsuit. He was given a villa at the MGM “Mansion,” a luxury…
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