Man Says Scorpion Stung Him in Bed at Las Vegas Hotel

• Los Angeles visitor claims scorpion sting in Las Vegas hotel bed
• Arizona bark scorpion is most venomous species in the United States
• Hotel scorpion encounters are rare despite Nevada’s desert habitat

A Los Angeles man stung by a scorpion hiding in his bedclothes at an off-Strip casino says he is considering legal action.

Sulaiman Lutale was staying at the Silver Sevens Hotel and Casino, formerly Terribles, while visiting the city for a business trip in May 2025. He told 8 News Now he was stung by an Arizona bark scorpion – the most venomous scorpion species in the US – as he lay in bed trying to sleep.

The scorpion’s sting can be fatal, although this is rare. It is nevertheless medically serious. Typical symptoms include immediate intense burning pain, muscle twitching or jerking, and in some cases difficulty swallowing or breathing.

Culprit Squashed

Lutale’s roommate was able to capture a video of the culprit on the hotel room floor before he stomped on it, killing it.

Lutale said he was stung on the arm and was left with scarring. He added he hopes to settle the matter without the need for litigation but wanted to highlight the issue to encourage hotel staff to perform proper safety checks. He never received an apology from Silver Sevens, he claimed.

Obviously, the Silver Sevens is probably on the lower end of the expensive hotels in Las Vegas, but the same principles apply,” Lutale’s attorney, Brian Virag of My Bed Bug Lawyer, told 8 News Now. “It doesn’t matter how much you’re spending for a hotel room or an accommodation, it’s got to be safe.”

Unfortunately for visitors to Las Vegas, bark scorpions – so called because of their habit of living under tree bark, not because they go “woof” – can climb walls, ceilings, luggage, and curtains, which means they occasionally end up in beds or bathrooms.

However, your odds of actually encountering one are extremely rare because major Las Vegas hotels maintain extensive pest-control programs and tightly sealed, climate-controlled interiors.

Emotional Trauma

Some people, however, are just plain unlucky. In August 2024, a man sued the Venetian because, he claimed, he was stung on the testicles by a scorpion while sleeping.

Michael Farchi of Agoura Hills, Calif., alleged in his lawsuit that the sting had left him with erectile dysfunction, PTSD, and emotional trauma.

Farchi told KLAS that Venetian staff did not take him seriously when he filed a medical incident report.

“(They were) just holding their groin area and laughing about it,” he said.