Las Vegas Casino Denies O.J Simpson Defamation Claim

The Cosmopolitan casino in Las Vegas has refuted allegations that it defamed OJ Simpson when it barred him from their property in 2017 for alleged drunk, disruptive and unruly behaviour.

This week the casino responded to the ongoing lawsuit brought by Simpson’s lawyer Malcolm LaVergne late last year, stating that the infamous NFL Hall of Famer’s public standing is already so bad that his reputation could not have been further damaged by the ban.

Recent court filings by the Cosmopolitan highlight 72-year old Simpson’s torrid history, including "the fact that in 1997 he was held civilly liable for the wrongful death of Ronald Goldman and the battery of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson."

Although Simpson was never convicted in criminal court, the civil action resulted in him being ordered to pay $33.5 million restitution to victims’ families.

Lawyers for the casino also pointed to Simpson as a "convicted felon as a result of being held criminally liable by a jury in 2008 for a robbery that occurred at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino in 2007."

That incident saw Simpson serving nine years for armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon.

Simpson was convicted on 12 counts after he led five men, several of them armed, to the Palace Station hotel in Las Vegas, seeking to recover sports memorabilia he claimed had been stolen from him. He was released in October of 2017.

In the Cosmopolitan incident just one month after his release, casino employees claim that Simpson broke glass and damaged property at the resort’s Clique lounge bar.

Unnamed staff at the resort were reported in a TMZ article on the incident that Simpson was served a trespass notice, known as an 86, that forbids him to enter the property.

With Simpson on parole, the TMZ report led to Nevada parole officers visiting him and administering drug and alcohol tests.

His attorney claimed in a court filing early this year that officials “ultimately determined that the Cosmopolitan’s assertions against Simpson were false.”

LaVergne this week requested that a judge handle the case rather than it being sent for arbitration, with a possible $50,000 jury award if they find in Simpson’s favour.

The case continues.