Tsoukernik vs. Zuckerberg; King's Resort Owner Sues Facebook
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Leon Tsoukernik, owner of King's Resort, Rozvadov is suing Facebook for $24,000,000 worth of damages after a series of fake mobile adverts.
The lawsuit was first reported by Hospodářské noviny, a Czech daily newspaper, with Tsoukernik claiming eight figures in damages to the casino's "brand and reputation."
Reputation and Brand of King's Damaged
Less than four weeks ago, Europe's largest card room warned on its website that malicious mobile adverts for online casinos were using pictures of King's Resort to encourage players to download the app, offering players a CZK 3,000 (€115/$138) bonus when they signed up.
The adverts featured the phrase "The best Czech casino is now online!"
The only problem being that King's Resort does not operate an online casino, Tsoukernik told Hospodářské noviny, a Czech daily newspaper.
"Someone who cannot be traced and therefore doesn't even have a license to operate has decided to use our name, our casino, and advertise on Facebook," said Tsoukernik. "As a result, [Facebook] is helping fraudsters and takes money for it. That's why we're suing [them] for harm."
Today King's Resort Twitter account said that they had been forced into legal action.
Because only licensed online casinos are allowed in the Czech Republic, Facebook has a duty to check these licenses while sites and operators would have to prove to Facebook that they owned licenses in order for them to continue operating Facebook pages.
Related: King's Resort Owner Leon Tsoukernik Scoops $1.5m Slots Jackpot
Facebook "Negligent" Claims King's
This is where things get interesting. According to the report, King's Resort have requested multiple times to have these fake adverts removed, as King's does not own an online casino and are in no way affiliated with these mobile adverts.
Tsoukernik says that they've approached Facebook and asked for the adverts to be removed, but had heard nothing back, leading to King's Resort opting to sue for €20,000,000 in damages they say as a result of Facebook's negligence.
"In other media, if we want to advertise, they require us to prove the license, trademarks for the logo and the like," said Tsoukernik. "Even two years ago, Facebook demanded it from us, so I don't understand how they can release such fraudulent advertising."
Tsoukernik vs. Kirk
This is not the first time Tsoukernik has been involved in a claim for millions, with Australian high-stakes poker player Matt Kirk previously suing him for $2m as a result of an unpaid loan from a heads-up match between the pair.
Tsoukernik then counterclaimed against both Kirk and the ARIA Resort & Casino, alleging that the Aria or individuals connected to the casino were backing Kirk financially.
King's Resort Remains Closed
Although due to host the 2021 WSOP Europe from November 19 to December 8, King's Resort has been closed for several months. It had reopened in May 2020 after a two-month closure, but there has been no announcement when the largest card room in Europe will reopen for 2021.
