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Kenneth S. Uston v. Airport Casino, Inc., a Corporation Dba Marina Casino

Kenneth S. USTON, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. AIRPORT CASINO, INC., a Corporation Dba Marina Casino, Et Al., Defendants-Appellees

Uston v. Airport Casino, Inc., 564 F.2d 1216 (9th Cir. 1977)
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Court
Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · U.S. Courts of Appeals
Decided
August 15, 1977
Docket
No. 76-2287
Judges
Browning, Per Curiam, Trask, Wallace
Citations
564 F.2d 1216

Opinion — Per Curiam

PER CURIAM:

Uston’s complaint alleged that the defendants, operators of a gambling casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, excluded him from their casino and denied him the opportunity to play blackjack or “21” solely because he *1217 is a “competent blackjack player}” He contended that this action entitled him to recover damages under the federal civil rights laws and under the common law of innkeepers’ duties. The district court dismissed for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6). We affirm.

It is clear from Uston’s complaint and brief that there is a lack of “state action” in the discriminatory conduct he alleges. It is also clear that his complaint does not involve discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin or sex. Although there are eonclusory allegations of “conspiracy,” the record is devoid of specific factual allegations to support the claim. One or more of these deficiencies precludes recovery under every civil rights statute which Uston invokes.

Though the defendants in this case may be innkeepers in the common law sense, they were not acting in that capacity in their dealings with Uston. The relationship was not one of innkeeper and patron, but rather one of casino owner and prospective gambler. The policies upon which the innkeeper’s special common law duties rested are not present in such a relationship.

Flores v. Los Angeles Turf Club, Inc., 55 Cal.2d 736 , 13 Cal.Rptr. 201 , 361 P.2d 921 (1961);

People v. Licata, 28 N.Y.2d 113 , 320 N.Y.S.2d 53 , 268 N.E.2d 787 (1971);

Madden v. Queens County Jockey Club, Inc., 296 N.Y. 249 , 72 N.E.2d 697 , cert. denied, 332 U.S. 761 , 68 S.Ct. 63 , 92 L.Ed. 346 (1947).

Uston’s argument based upon contract law is devoid of merit.

AFFIRMED.

How later courts describe this case

Explanatory parentheticals written by citing courts — 5 in all; the most informative distinct ones are shown.

Cited by 12 cases

View all citing references →
1979: 11980: 11984: 21985: 21989: 11996: 11997: 22007: 12016: 119792026peak 1984 · 2

Relies on it most ⓘ

  1. Mulleneaux v. State950 P.2d 1156 (Ariz. Ct. App. 1997)
  2. Buckley v. Gomez36 F. Supp. 2d 1216 (S.D. Cal. 1997)
  3. SLADE VS. CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT2016 NV 36
  4. Hobson v. Wilson737 F.2d 1 (D.C. Cir. 1984)
  5. James Elliott and Joseph Defley v. Leander H. Perez, Jr., Etc., Eugene E. Leon, Jr., Etc., and Frank Klein751 F.2d 1472 (5th Cir. 1985)
  6. Jamieson v. Shaw772 F.2d 1205 (5th Cir. 1985)

Most recent

  1. SLADE VS. CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT2016 NV 36
  2. Mattes v. Ballys Las Vegas227 F. App'x 567 (9th Cir. 2007)
  3. Buckley v. Gomez36 F. Supp. 2d 1216 (S.D. Cal. 1997)
  4. Mulleneaux v. State950 P.2d 1156 (Ariz. Ct. App. 1997)
  5. Whayne v. United States Department of Education915 F. Supp. 1143 (D. Kan. 1996)
  6. Arnold v. Board Of Education Of Escambia County880 F.2d 305 (11th Cir. 1989)

Citing references are not a citator: they show that a later opinion cites this case, not whether it followed, distinguished, or overruled it. Check negative history before relying on this case.

Authorities cited 3

DepthCaseCited by
Flores v. Los Angeles Turf Club, Inc., 361 P.2d 921 (Cal. 1961) 47
People v. Licata, 268 N.E.2d 787 (N.Y. 1971) 42
Madden v. Queens Cnty. Jockey Club, Inc., 72 N.E.2d 697 (N.Y. 1947) 68

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