Dwight Manley's Ketamine Lawsuit Against MGM Grand Goes to Trial

Settlement talks between MGM Grand and sports agent Dwight Manley broke down Monday after a confidential hearing in US District Court in Nevada. The case, in which Manley alleges he was drugged with ketamine during a 2021 VIP stay at the MGM Grand Mansion, will now proceed to trial. The breakdown follows Judge Miranda Du's March ruling denying MGM's motion to dismiss. Neither MGM nor its outside counsel responded to requests for comment.

No Settlement Reached as Trial Looms

Attorney Chris Madel, who recently joined Manley's legal team, confirmed Tuesday that no agreement was reached. "There is no settlement," Madel said. "I'm very eager to proceed to trial." Madel pushed back on suggestions that his client's chances of prevailing were slim. "I don't like to take on cases, particularly trials, when I think I'm going to lose," he said. MGM maintains that the allegations are an attempt to avoid paying gambling debts, which Manley has largely repaid. Gaming regulators have not announced disciplinary action against MGM.

Missing Messages and a Credit Limit That Raised Questions

Madel raised concerns about text messages between casino host Vanessa Reboton and credit executive Justin Manacher that MGM contends are missing from both phones. Madel called that claim "beyond suspicious, and frankly, almost laughable."

Evidence in the case indicates MGM executives knew Manley was impaired, yet extended his credit from $1 million to $3.5 million. Under Nevada Gaming Regulation 5.011, allowing a visibly impaired person to gamble is grounds for disciplinary action. MGM's general counsel, John McManus, and VP Scott Pettitt attended Monday's conference alongside outside counsel Lawrence Semenza.

The Night Manley Says He Was Drugged at MGM Grand

Manley, 60, a former agent to NBA star Dennis Rodman, was invited to the MGM Grand Mansion, an upscale retreat adorned with works by Picasso and Matisse. On December 10, 2021, he ordered an Old Fashioned that tasted unusually bitter. He soon became disoriented, broke a glass ashtray, cut his hand, and bled onto the gaming table. Staff gave him Band-Aids but did not seek further medical help. His credit limit was then raised to $3.5 million, allowing him to lose $2 million in blackjack.

Friends later escorted him to his villa, where he passed out. A doctor later concluded, "to a reasonable degree of medical probability," that Manley had been poisoned with ketamine. Manley filed his lawsuit on November 10, 2022, and later launched a billboard campaign in Las Vegas offering a $1 million reward for information.

Manley's billboard campaign in Las Vegas, offering a $1 million reward for information, signals how far he is willing to go to find out what happened to him that night.