Iowa Blackjack Player Sues Louisiana Casinos and Police

Iowa blackjack player Eric Michael Temeyer has filed a lawsuit against the Golden Nugget Lake Charles and L'Auberge Lake Charles casinos in Lake Charles, as well as several police officers. According to the complaint, after Temeyer refused to show identification, the casinos and police worked together to obtain his personal information and circulate it. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana on November 3, 2026.

Temeyer says he played at L'Auberge on November 2 and 3, 2025, and that about $2,800 in chips went unpaid because he did not present identification. He then went to the Golden Nugget, where, according to his claim, staff asked for his ID there and told him to leave.

The complaint states that police detained Temeyer outside the casino, handcuffed him, and searched his pockets. It alleges that when Temeyer said there had to be grounds for suspicion of a crime to do this, an officer replied that "this isn't how things work here." It further claims that one officer gave Temeyer's driver's license to casino security, and that a security employee photographed his license, his vehicle, and its license plate. Temeyer says he was in the back seat of the police car during this time.

Temeyer was released without being charged or served with any papers. L'Auberge initially refused to pay, but after a phone call it paid the value of his chips. Temeyer argues that the cashier saying "there you go, Eric" even though he had not provided identification proves that his personal information was shared.

The lawsuit is based on claims of violation of constitutional rights, civil conspiracy, and violation of state law. The plaintiff suggests that the casinos targeted him because he is an advantage player, but he does not expressly claim that he counted cards. The complaint seeks compensatory damages, possible punitive damages against the individual defendants, and attorney's fees. It does not specify a total amount.