Hard Rock Hotel Casino Biloxi Sued Over Allegedly Faulty Slot Chair

Posted on: May 2, 2025, 01:55h. 

Last updated on: May 2, 2025, 09:05h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.
  • Hard Rock Biloxi has been sued on allegations that it failed to provide a safe casino
  • A man claims he suffered injuries after falling from a faulty slot chair
  • Hard Rock has yet to respond to the complaint

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi, doing business in the Mississippi Gulf Coast casino town as Premier Entertainment, has been named in a Harrison County lawsuit on allegations that it failed to adequately protect guests on its casino floor.

Hard Rock Casino Biloxi
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi in Mississippi has been named in a lawsuit alleging neglect. A man from South Carolina claims he fell off a faulty chair at a slot machine that resulted in significant physical harm, emotional distress, and a loss of enjoyment of life. (Image: Shutterstock)

Plaintiff George Powell, a resident of Denmark, SC, claims he was in Biloxi on Aug. 6, 2022, for a business meeting taking place on the Hard Rock premises. Powell alleges that he was playing a slot machine when the chair he was sitting on broke.

The chair fell and threw Plaintiff to the floor,” Powell’s complaint read.

After retreating to his Hard Rock hotel room to rest, Powell claims his shoulder began to swell, prompting him to take a taxi to the Merit Hospital located just a quarter-mile north of the resort.   

Hard Fall at Hard Rock

Casinos are sued all the time for an array of reasons, including slips and falls. Powell’s case is a bit different, as he claims Hard Rock, as well as the slot machine chair manufacturer, Modern Gaming, were negligent in not realizing that the furniture was defective and posed a risk of injury to guests.

Defendant Hard Rock owed a duty of reasonable care to Plaintiff as an invitee, and negligently failed to inspect for dangerous conditions. Defendant Hard Rock knew, or should have known, of the dangerous condition, namely, of the defective chair, which caused Plaintiff’s injury,” Flowood, Miss., attorney Willie Abston argued on his client’s behalf.

Abston added that Modern Gaming was negligent in maintaining quality control measures “during production to prevent manufacturing defects, to ensure components used in the product meet required specifications, and to properly inspect and test finished products before distribution.”

Abston is requesting a jury trial. The complaint seeks punitive damages and court costs.

Powell says he suffered trauma to his right shoulder, right arm, and “body as a whole.” He also claims he endured emotional trauma, shock, stress, emotional distress, and “mental anguish” that he has suffered and will continue to suffer. Finally, Powell alleges that the fall from the slot machine chair has led to a “loss of enjoyment of life.”

Powell’s home address in South Carolina, detailed in the lawsuit, shows an estimated value of $128,800, according to Realtor.com.

Response Forthcoming

Powell’s lawsuit was submitted to Harrison County’s Second Judicial Circuit Court on March 31. It was filed and made public on April 23.

Hard Rock and Modern Gaming haven’t yet responded to the complaint, but it’s a solid bet that the two companies’ attorneys will ask the court to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice.

Atlanta-based Millar Law Firm explains that property owners of commercial businesses “have a legal duty to ensure their premises are safe.” However, the attorneys there say obtaining necessary evidence in a chair collapse case can be difficult.

Powell’s complaint details that a maintenance worker removed the slot machine chair from the floor following his fall.

Hard Rock Biloxi has roughly 1,400 slot machine chairs. The casino also has approximately 50 live-dealer table games that have hundreds of chairs.