Iowa blackjack player sues two Louisiana casinos and police officers over alleged unlawful detention and data sharing

A federal lawsuit filed on November 3 in the US District Court for the Western District of Louisiana accuses two casinos and a group of police officers of conspiring to identify an advantage blackjack player. The plaintiff, Eric Michael Temeyer of Iowa, names Golden Nugget Lake Charles, L'Auberge Lake Charles and several law enforcement officers as defendants. The nine-count complaint alleges civil rights violations, illegal searches and civil conspiracy.

According to the filing, the events began on November 2, 2025, when Temeyer played blackjack at L'Auberge from about 5 p.m. until roughly 2:40 a.m. Casino employees asked him for identification, which he declined to provide. When he tried to cash in about $2,800 in chips, a cashier reportedly would not process the transaction without seeing ID. He then went to the nearby Golden Nugget, where security staff also requested identification. He again refused, was told to leave, and did so.

The complaint says police approached him in the Golden Nugget parking lot as he stood by his vehicle. When an officer asked for ID, Temeyer asked whether there was a legal basis for the request. He was allegedly handcuffed, had his pockets searched and had his driver's license taken. The license was reportedly passed to a Golden Nugget security employee, who photographed it along with his license plate and car. The suit also claims an officer entered the vehicle without consent to check its vehicle identification number. Temeyer was released without a ticket or criminal charges at about 3:36 a.m.

Later that day he returned to L'Auberge to collect his winnings. A cashier initially insisted on identification but reportedly completed the payout after a phone call without seeing any documents. Temeyer says this suggests the casino had already obtained and circulated his personal information.

Central to the case are Louisiana laws that, according to the complaint, bar licensed gambling establishments from refusing service to patrons simply because they are skilled players. Temeyer says the casinos wanted to identify him in order to restrict his access as an advantage gambler. The suit does not explicitly mention card counting, which is not illegal. The complaint also raises concern that casinos could share information on skilled players through internal security systems, limiting their access across several properties.

Temeyer seeks compensatory damages, possibly punitive damages and attorney's fees. No specific monetary amount was stated.