Gambler R.J. Cipriani Scores Legal Win in Resorts World Las Vegas Case
Posted on: November 5, 2025, 01:25h.
Last updated on: November 5, 2025, 01:50h.
- Ninth Circuit Court sends case against Resorts World back to lower court
- Appellate court says district court “abused discretion” in application of legal estoppel
- Case against former executive Sibella was dismissed
R.J. Cipriani, a well-known professional gambler, scored a win in a lengthy legal saga involving Resorts World Las Vegas when the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit sent his case back to a district court for further evaluation.
Cipriani, also known as Robin Hood 702, brought cases against the Genting-operated casino resort and former executive Scott Sibella, alleging the venue and the executive allowed another gambler, Robert Alexander, to harass him. In siding with Cipriani, the appellate court ruled that the district court that previously heard the cases breached its judicial estoppel authority.
We conclude that the district court abused its discretion in applying judicial estoppel to Cipriani’s negligence, innkeeper liability, and negligent supervision claims against Resorts World,” according to the ruling. “The court rested its determination on a supposed inconsistency between Cipriani’s assertion in a state court action that Resorts World ejected Alexander presumably to ensure Cipriani’s safety, and his allegation in this federal action that Resorts World disregarded his safety by encouraging or allowing Alexander to harass him.”
The case against Sibella, the former executive accused of knowingly allowing black market bookies to wager illicit funds at Resorts World, was dismissed.
What’s Next in Cipriani’s Resorts World Case
When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower legal venue, it’s usually with a formal order of mandate requiring the lower court to take specific action. Those orders are legally binding and must be adhered to by the lower court.
Specific to the Cipriani/Resorts World case, it appears the Ninth Circuit Court is sending a message to the district court that, at a minimum, inconsistencies need to be addressed. Those could include the point that Cipriani’s claim that the integrated resort allowed Alexander to bother him for multiple weeks before removing him from the property isn’t “clearly inconsistent.”
“Furthermore, Resorts World has not shown that Cipriani succeeded in persuading the state court to accept his earlier position or that he would gain an unfair advantage if not estopped,” notes the Ninth Circuit. “In state court, Alexander himself asserted that he had been ejected by Resorts World before Cipriani acknowledged that fact in his counterclaim. We reverse the district court’s application of judicial estoppel and remand for further analysis of Cipriani’s negligence, innkeeper liability, and negligent supervision claims against Resorts World.”
Another Dramatic Chapter in Resorts World LV History
The $4.3 billion Resorts World Las Vegas, the Strip’s most expensive integrated resort in terms of construction costs, opened in June 2021. Over the venue’s relatively young lifespan, it’s been an epicenter of controversy, including the Sibella saga and reports of tepid financial performance.
Just this year, Resorts World Las Vegas announced layoffs and removed its chief executive officer just five months into his tenure.
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