Did YouTube Star MrBeast Abuse Game Show Contestants in Las Vegas?

MrBeast faces allegations of mistreating contestants appearing on his upcoming Amazon Prime reality competition series, which filmed for three nights last month at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

MrBeast is the most popular vlogger on YouTube. He earned 307 million subscribers by organizing extravagant giveaways, philanthropic endeavors, and large-scale challenge videos. (Image: Shopify/MrBeast)

The accusations against “Beast Games,” first reported by Casino.org’s own Vital Vegas and now circulating nationally, include depriving people of food, water, and necessary medications.

One source told Vital Vegas that Desert Springs Hospital saw “countless patients” from the reality competition who had been denied food and water during its first challenge, which involved teams of 400 people lifting 10K-pound weights with pulleys.

MrBeast has described the concept of his new game show as “Squid Games” but “on steroids times a billion,” according to Vital Vegas. Its contestants probably don’t disagree. (Image: Instagram/@MrBeast)

One contestant reported that medications such as inhalers had to be surrendered. Another claimed that staff denied water to all and food to diabetics, and that “at least two individuals have had seizures as a result.”

MrBeast, the alter ego of 26-year-old Jimmy Donaldson from Greenville, NC, is the most popular vlogger on YouTube. He earned 307 million subscribers by organizing extravagant giveaways, philanthropic endeavors, and large-scale challenge videos.

A rep for MrBeast claimed there were only “three medical issues out of 2,000 participants” and that two were “medical events unrelated to the games or production, and one involved dehydration.”

The rep claimed the set was stocked with water and electrolyte drinks and full medical staff.”

Beast-Laid Plans

The production was in Las Vegas from July 17-20 to winnow a field of 2,000 hopefuls down to the 1,000 who will compete on the Amazon Prime series. (The preliminaries in Las Vegas will be shown only on YouTube.)

The 1,000 contestants will compete in strenuous physical challenges until only one $5 million winner remains.

That’s the largest single prize ever offered by a game show, surpassing the $2.6 million awarded to Andrew Kravis by NBC’s “The Million Second Quiz” game show in September 2013.

“Beast Games” put up participants at the Rio and Luxor, Vital Vegas reported. They were forced to wear garbage bags when traveling, so as to conceal the appearance of their uniforms.

Corey Levitan joined Casino.org in 2022 after a long career covering Las Vegas. He currently covers entertainment, dining and gaming news in Las Vegas.

Corey spent six years covering the Vegas Strip for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, where he also wrote the most popular humor column in the city’s history. (For “Fear and Loafing,” he tried out 176 Vegas jobs, including poker player, blackjack dealer and Follie Bergere dancer.)

Corey has won more than 100 local, state and national awards for his journalism, which has also appeared in Rolling Stone, New York Magazine and the New York Post.

Corey is a New York native whose hobbies include playing guitar, trying to be a better husband, and arguing with strangers on Facebook.

Contact Corey at corey@casino.org.

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    BeastWasBad August 2, 2024
    There was no filming at the Rio and Luxor. Those were just hotels for arrivals and departures. All filming was done over three nights at… There was no filming at the Rio and Luxor. Those were just hotels for arrivals and departures. All filming was done over three nights at Allegiant, where the contestants also stayed during that time. Trust me on this. I’m a local who was employed on this
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