King’s Casino owner sues Facebook for $24m after fake online advertisements arise

King’s Casino in Rozvadov is a popular spot for poker players, with the card room playing host to major events this year. This week the property was a hot topic due to its owner Leon Tsoukernik deciding to sue Facebook for $24 million. The damages are being sought by Tsoukernik due to a fake mobile advertising claim.

The Claims

The lawsuit first came to light in a Czech newspaper and quickly spread around the globe. Tsoukernik filed the lawsuit stating there were damages to the brand and reputation of the casino. Just a few weeks ago, the card room started to warn players that mobile advertisements were popping up online and they were fake.

The advertisements reportedly encouraged players to download an app and earn a bonus when signing up. The bonus was worth CZK 3,000 ($138). The advertisement includes phrasing stating the ‘best Czech casino is now online’.

The advertisement is fake because King’s Casino is not online. The property does not offer any type of online gambling option for players. According to Tsoukernik, an individual that cannot be traced has used Facebook to advertise under the casino’s name. The casino owner is calling Facebook out for helping the fraud to promote the fake ad and earns money in the process.

King’s Casino operates in the Czech Republic, where licensing is required. Online operators must also have licensing in place. Facebook is reportedly considered to be negligent in this case as they did not check for licensing before allowing the online advertisements on the social media site.

Constant Requests for Removal

According to King’s, a request was made several times to Facebook to remove the false ads. King’s does not operate an online casino, so they are in no way connected to the posts. Tsoukernik said that the company contacted Facebook about the ad removal and never heard from anyone connected to the social media company.

To see the ads removed, the casino has now decided to sue for damages. Tsoukernik pointed out that in other forms of media, advertising requires proof of licensing, trademarks of the logo, and additional information. The owner says that Facebook demanded this information from them two years ago, so he does not understand how the advertisements were approved and allowed to go public.

The lawsuit comes as King’s Casino remains closed. The COVID-19 pandemic is a worldwide issue, and the facility has been unable to get back to work due to the social distancing needs of the virus. The poker property is set to host the WSOP Europe 2021 starting in November, so hopefully, King’s will be operational once more in the near future.