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MGM National Harbor is facing a federal lawsuit after server Tajia Mackyeon said casino managers took a $76,000 baccarat tip that a player had handed to her during an April 13 shift.
Good to Know
The case centers on who controlled the chips once the baccarat player handed them to Mackyeon. Her lawsuit argues that the tip became her property, and that MGM National Harbor management unlawfully took it away.
Conversion theft forms one core claim in the filing. In plain terms, Mackyeon accuses casino staff of taking control of property that did not belong to them. She also alleges violations of federal and Maryland labor law, tortious interference with economic advantage, conspiracy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Mackyeon had served the baccarat player for several hours before the alleged tip. FindLaw reported:
“Around 2 a.m., he put chips worth $76,000 in Mackyeon’s hands.”
The report said Mackyeon asked the player three times if he was sure. He confirmed the tip each time, then returned to the tables and kept gambling.
The lawsuit says management later relied on casino policy tied to player impairment. MGM policy requires staff to act when a gambler appears impaired while gambling, according to the complaint. Mackyeon argues that rule did not apply because the player “was not in any apparent state of confusion or impairment” when he gave her the chips.
Her attorney framed the decision as unequal treatment. If the same player “had placed a $76,000 roulette bet on ‘red,’ and lost, [the casino] would not have given it back.”
Mackyeon said her manager and a table games manager quickly took possession of the chips. She claims she complied because she “believed that if she did not comply, she would be forced to do so.” Later, she learned MGM National Harbor had returned the funds to the baccarat player.
The amount also adds weight to the dispute. According to the lawsuit, the $76,000 tip would have been more than five times her normal yearly pay.
Some casino operators use tipping pools that split gratuities among servers, bartenders, and barbacks. The lawsuit, however, does not point to a tip-pooling rule at MGM National Harbor that would explain the handling of the chips.
MGM has dealt with other unusual casino litigation recently. In March, a Nevada federal judge allowed a separate case against the company to continue. That lawsuit involves a high-limit blackjack player who alleged someone spiked his drink with ketamine at MGM Grand in Las Vegas in December 2021.