Or, that what happens in Vegas doesn't necessarily stay in Vegas: Wynn Las Vegas LLC v Teng, 2012 ONSC 1927. Tenny Teng went to Las Vegas to gamble, having obtained a $300,000 line of credit from the Wynn casino (and, it appears, from Caesar's Palace and the Bellagio as well). Teng drew on the Wynn line of credit and left Vegas owing a debt of $290,000 (he had paid $10,000 on arrival as front money). The two cheques he had provided as security were dishonoured. The casino was, not surprisingly, in contact with Teng about his indebtedness and was not satisfied by his tales of financial difficulty and promises to repay. The casino sued in Ontario, seeking summary judgment for the outstanding principal and interest. Teng argued first of all that Nevada was the more appropriate forum, given the location of witnesses and the fact the debt arose there. He also denied having applied for the line of credit and claimed even if he had signed the application, he was was under the influence of all the free drinks that the casino had plied him with and couldn't remember a thing. Teng contended these were genuine issues for trial.
Yeah, right! The fact that the casino could have sued in Nevada was not dispositive; the credit application provided it could pursue remedies there or elsewhere; and Ontario was, furthermore, where Teng resided, where his assets were and where the cheques bounced. Teng also attorned to the jurisdiction of the Ontario court by filing a defence. As to the 'genuine' issues requiring trial, they were belied by a clear trail of e-mails which established that Teng had sent the credit application by fax from home, and that any claim not to be able to remember signing the documentation arose after Wynn sued him. Wynn obtained judgment for the full amount of the debt plus pre-judgment interest at the rate of 18% as stipulated in the credit agreement, post-judgment interest of 18% and costs on a partial indemnity scale.
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