Published on: April 21, 2026, at 07:13h.
Updated on: April 21, 2026, at 07:13h.
- MGM Resolves Lawsuit Concerning Alleged Drink Tampering in Exclusive Casino
- Agent Alleges Ketamine Exposure Resulted in $2 Million Gambling Loss
- Judge Authorizes Continuation of Case Prior to Confidential Settlement Achieved
MGM Resorts International has preemptively settled with a prominent sports agent who alleged that his drink was laced with ketamine while he participated in high-stakes gambling in the exclusive MGM Mansion connected to the MGM Grand.
Dwight Manley, age 60, notable for managing Dennis Rodman in the 1990s, alleged in his lawsuit that VIP staff escalated his credit limit to $3.5 million after he became disoriented due to suspected drug effects, resulting in a $2 million loss in casino markers during a blackjack game.
In an effort to identify the individual responsible for doping him, Manley employed a private investigator and even launched a billboard campaign in Las Vegas, offering a $1 million reward for credible information.
Private Proceedings
The confidential settlement was reached during a hearing at the US District Court in Nevada. According to The Las Vegas Review-Journal, the financial terms remain undisclosed.
This hearing followed Judge Miranda Du’s refusal to dismiss MGM’s motion in March to terminate the case.
In her ruling to let the case advance, Du remarked that the plaintiff had presented sufficient evidence to question whether the cocktail served by the defendant’s employee was tainted, leading to incapacitation at the moment he entered into the credit agreement in question.
Luxury Accommodations
A longtime VIP patron of MGM Resorts, Manley was invited to experience the luxurious MGM Mansion—a villa styled after Italian architecture, adorned with masterpieces by Picasso and Matisse. For this visit, VIP services even arranged a private jet for Manley and his guests.
On December 10, around 1:30 p.m., he ordered an Old Fashioned that he found to be unusually bitter. Despite this, he drank it and sought another. According to the lawsuit, he quickly began to feel disoriented.
At one point, he accidentally broke a glass ashtray and injured his hand, causing bleeding on the gaming table. While staff relocated him to another table, the complaint states they only provided Band-Aids without further medical assistance.
However, they did increase his line of credit—something he asserts he was unfit to consent to at that moment.
Medical Validation
By around 5:15 p.m., his friends guided him back to his villa, where he subsequently lost consciousness. The following day, he expressed his suspicion of having been drugged. A medical professional later determined, “to a reasonable degree of medical probability,” that Manley had indeed ingested ketamine.
Manley lodged his lawsuit on November 10, 2022, alleging negligence on MGM’s part, alongside claims of unfair trade practices, unjust enrichment, and breach of implied covenant. He sought damages exceeding $75,000.
Neither party has commented on the details of the settlement when approached for remarks.