Luong estimates she had lost about $1,000 by the time she was escorted out.įor this article, The Sun examined police and District Court records and dozens of casino incident reports obtained from the Lottery and Gaming Control Agency through public records requests. Casino officials then matched her name against the more than 2,400 people on the state’s self-exclusion list.

According to records, she drove to Live! Casino on the Sunday morning after Thanksgiving and played seven rounds of poker over the next 12 1/2 hours before attracting the attention of security by seeking a second advance at the cashier’s cage.

“I feel so lonely” during the pandemic, said Luong, who responded via text messages to questions from The Sun. Horseshoe Baltimore Casino on Russell Street is pictured March 24. The program “is a successful self-help tool for people who want to make a change,” said Lottery and Gaming Director Gordon Medenica. Otherwise, they remain on the list indefinitely. Those with two-year bans can get agency permission to withdraw from the program after an assessment by a licensed counselor. Gamblers can ban themselves - either for two years or for life - at any casino or at the offices of the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency in Baltimore. That’s when they feel lucky and alive and valued.”

“They get such a surge of adrenaline and endorphins - the sights, the sounds, the music. The closures created “pent-up demand among recreational gamblers, but also pent-up desperation among problem gamblers,” said Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling. Larry Hogan to help curb the spread of the virus.

The state allowed casinos to reopen at 50% capacity in June after being ordered closed three months earlier by Republican Gov. He's pictured outside his offices March 3. Benjamin Herbst, an attorney with the Herbst Firm in Baltimore, has represented more than 20 gamblers on the exclusion list.

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