Several prominent Las Vegas casinos, including Mandalay Bay, The Venetian, and MGM Grand, are facing serious allegations in a new lawsuit that claims they ignored sex trafficking activities occurring on their properties.
Anonymous Victim Files Lawsuit
The lawsuit, filed by THE702FIRM Injury Attorneys and Hilton Parker LLC, represents an anonymous complainant known as Tyla D. According to the suit, Tyla was only 14 years old when she became a victim of sex trafficking in 2006. The complaint alleges that traffickers forced Tyla to roam the casino floors, using a fake ID under the name Naina Santiago, to gamble and attract customers.
The complaint vividly describes Tyla’s appearance: “Tyla didn’t look 18, let alone 21. She looked like what she was, a lost and frightened 14- (and eventually 15-) year-old girl, dressed up for sex appeal by an older man.”
Claims of Negligence and Willful Blindness
The lawsuit accuses the casinos of violating the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 and the Child Abuse Victims’ Rights Act of 1986. It asserts that the casinos not only failed to prevent the trafficking but also turned a blind eye to obvious signs of abuse.
After escaping her traffickers in 2007, Tyla was again forced into sex work at the age of 21 in 2013. By this time, the lawsuit states, casinos had sophisticated facial recognition technology that should have identified her, but instead, they allegedly chose to ignore her presence and the apparent signs of trafficking.
The complaint emphasizes: “Tyla’s true purpose for being in the casino would have been obvious to customers, but this was ignored by staff. The employees turned a blind eye to Tyla’s plight because to do otherwise would have inconvenienced the employees and potentially upset her clients.”
Persistent Issue in Casinos
Sex trafficking has been a long-standing issue in casinos across the US. In recent incidents, a couple was arrested at The Strat hotel in Las Vegas in December 2023 for trafficking a minor, and another couple faced similar charges in Missouri in February 2024.
Casinos Deny Allegations
The defendants have filed a motion to dismiss the case, arguing that it falls outside the statute of limitations and denying any involvement in or benefit from the trafficking activities. They stated: “As proud supporters of non-profit organizations that help trafficking survivors in their recovery, Movants condemn human trafficking categorically, have the utmost sympathy for its victims, and are deeply dismayed by the allegation that this heinous crime may have unfolded at their properties.”
The casinos further argued: “But on these facts alleged, Movants cannot, as a matter of law, be held legally responsible for the clandestine crimes of Tyla’s alleged traffickers or the many others that she claims were directly involved.”
The outcome of this lawsuit could have significant implications for the responsibilities of casinos in monitoring and preventing illegal activities on their properties.
