Blackjack player sues Louisiana casinos and police over alleged sharing of personal information
An Iowa blackjack player has sued two Lake Charles casinos and several police officers, alleging they worked together to obtain and circulate his personal information after he refused to show identification.
Eric Michael Temeyer’s complaint names Golden Nugget Lake Charles, L’Auberge Lake Charles and the officers. A docket entry shows the case was filed in the US District Court for the Western District of Louisiana on 3 November 2026.
What allegedly went down
Temeyer says he played at L’Auberge on 2 and 3 November 2025, but was refused payment for about $2,800 in chips unless he produced identification. The defendant then travelled to the Golden Nugget.
He alleged that at the Golden Nugget, staff asked for his ID at the entrance and told him to leave.
According to the complaint, police detained Temeyer outside the casino, handcuffed him and searched his pockets. When Temeyer claimed that a suspicion of crime was needed for such actions, he alleged that the officer responded with “that’s not how it works here”.
It further alleged that an officer gave his driving licence to casino security, which photographed the licence, his vehicle and its number plate.
‘There you go Eric’
The complaint said an officer also entered his vehicle to inspect its identification number. Temeyer alleged he was in the back of a police car at the time.
Temeyer was released without a charge or citation. He said L’Auberge later paid him for his chips following a telephone call, despite initially refusing payment.
He alleged that when handed his winnings, the cashier said ‘there you go Eric’ despite the defendant not sharing his identification. This, he alleged, proved that his personal information
Dispute over skill and casino exclusion
The lawsuit alleged constitutional violations, civil conspiracy and breaches of state law. It argued that the casinos sought Temeyer’s details because he was an advantage player, although it did not explicitly allege that he counted cards.
The suit sought compensatory damages, possible punitive damages against individual defendants and legal fees. It does not specify a total amount.
Louisiana has set a keen eye on its own regulation in recent years. Just last autumn, the state declared in an advisory that sports event contracts are sports betting under state law.
“It is the board’s position that such activities constitute sports wagering under Louisiana law and are not being conducted in compliance with Louisiana Gaming Control law or under a valid Louisiana issued licence or permit,” the letter obtained by iGB read.