Thomas McPeek, a 24-year-old sports bettor from suburban Chicago, has sued Caesars Entertainment in federal court over roughly $800,000 in football parlay winnings the company refused to pay out at two of its casinos. The Thomas McPeek Caesars lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, asks whether a sportsbook can void winning tickets after the games are over by pointing to house rules against “structuring” and cross-state wagering. Motions to dismiss are pending before Judge Miranda M. Du, and discovery is stayed.1Leagle. McPeek v. Caesars Entertainment, Inc.
How the Bets Were Placed
Between August and September 2024, McPeek placed hundreds of football parlay wagers at self-service kiosks inside two Caesars-owned properties. At the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana, he spent roughly $30,000 over a week in August and accumulated $350,000 in winnings.2CBS News. Suburban Chicago Man Wins Sports Bet, Casinos Won’t Pay The next month, he withdrew $20,000 from a bank and bet it over a four-hour stretch at the Isle Casino in Bettendorf, Iowa, producing $450,000 in winning tickets.3Covers. Casinos Deny Illinois Man $800 Thousand in Sports Betting Winnings
His method was deliberate. He researched wagers by hand in a notebook, targeted parlays he thought were mispriced, and tried to stay anonymous by wearing sunglasses, tucking his hair under a hat, and feeding cash into kiosks instead of dealing with a counter clerk.2CBS News. Suburban Chicago Man Wins Sports Bet, Casinos Won’t Pay He placed many smaller wagers instead of a few big ones. That tactic became the center of Caesars’ defense.
Why Caesars Refused to Pay
When McPeek returned to the Horseshoe in October 2024 to cash out, he was told the tickets had been voided for “breaking house rules.” The Isle Casino likewise refused, citing anti-money-laundering rules and other restrictions.3Covers. Casinos Deny Illinois Man $800 Thousand in Sports Betting Winnings
Caesars pointed to two specific violations. The first was “structuring,” which the company defined as breaking large bets into many smaller ones to avoid the mandatory reporting threshold for transactions over $10,000. The second was “cross-state coordination,” which prohibits placing coordinated wagers at properties in different states.4New York Post. Chicago Bettor Claims Caesars Won’t Pay $800K Winnings At the Isle, staff gave McPeek a printed sheet highlighting these policies.2CBS News. Suburban Chicago Man Wins Sports Bet, Casinos Won’t Pay
Caesars offered to refund McPeek’s original $50,000 stake, including money he had lost on losing bets, but refused to pay the $800,000 in winnings. He was banned from both properties.5Yahoo Finance. Chicago Man Fights Caesars Over $800K in Sports Betting Winnings
A Different Result at Blue Chip
McPeek used the same strategy at the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City, Indiana, where the sportsbook is operated by FanDuel rather than Caesars. He won $127,000. Blue Chip banned him from the property, but it paid the winnings by check before doing so.2CBS News. Suburban Chicago Man Wins Sports Bet, Casinos Won’t Pay That outcome sharpens the question at the center of his suit: whether an operator that dislikes a bettor can refuse future business is one thing, but whether it can retroactively cancel wagers it already accepted is another.
The Regulators Sided With Caesars
Before suing, McPeek complained to state gambling regulators in both states. The Indiana Gaming Commission concluded that Caesars followed its rules when it voided the wagers.6Casino.org. Caesars Refuses to Pay Sports Bettor’s $800K in Winnings Iowa regulators reviewed the complaint and also did not rule in his favor.2CBS News. Suburban Chicago Man Wins Sports Bet, Casinos Won’t Pay Those decisions pushed the fight into federal court.
Where the Case Stands
McPeek filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada around June 2025, naming Caesars Entertainment, Inc., Horseshoe Hammond, LLC, and Harrah’s Council Bluffs Hotel & Casino as defendants. The case, 3:25-cv-00307-MMD-CSD, was assigned to District Judge Miranda M. Du.1Leagle. McPeek v. Caesars Entertainment, Inc.
Caesars moved to dismiss on July 28, 2025, and filed a partial special motion to dismiss on August 22. Briefing wrapped up in September, and the court granted a stipulation to stay discovery on September 17, 2025.7Justia Dockets. McPeek v. Caesars Entertainment, Inc. et al As of March 2026, Judge Du had issued an order summarizing the federal and state law claims but had not ruled on the motions to dismiss. Discovery remains stayed.1Leagle. McPeek v. Caesars Entertainment, Inc.
The Legal Question
McPeek’s argument is that Caesars accepted his cash, printed his tickets, and should honor the payouts. He has acknowledged the disguises and the small-ticket approach, but he says there are “no rules against staying under the radar.”2CBS News. Suburban Chicago Man Wins Sports Bet, Casinos Won’t Pay
Caesars relies on its published house rules. Indiana and Iowa both require licensed sportsbooks to publish rules covering available wagers, redemption procedures, and policies for voiding bets.8Illinois Gaming Board. Sports Wagering FAQ The company contends McPeek violated those rules through structuring and cross-state coordination.
What makes the dispute unusual is the timing. Betting author Eli Feustel told CBS News that voiding tickets only after the games are decided is the weak point in Caesars’ position. “If Caesars had decided before the first game was played to void all the wagers, that would be fair,” Feustel said. “When they waited to see if they’d win before they voided him, that’s where their problem is.”2CBS News. Suburban Chicago Man Wins Sports Bet, Casinos Won’t Pay Whether that framing carries weight with Judge Du will depend on how she reads Caesars’ rules and the contracts formed at the kiosks when McPeek’s cash went in.