Millionaire casino boss Leon Tsoukernik is suing Facebook for almost €20million ($23million) after the social media giant allowed fake and malicious casino adverts using his King’s Casino name and photos. Check out the best online casinos below!
Leon Tsoukernik vs Facebook
📰 Leon Tsoukernik sues Facebook!
He takes legal action against app fraud. He is suing Facebook for half a billion Czech crowns (about $23,000,000 US) for spreading misleading advertising of a casino app abusing the name of King's.https://t.co/57yJwhcW4v
— King's Resort (@PokerroomKings) April 16, 2021
Tsoukernik, who is no stranger to the legal world following several previous high-profile lawsuits, launched theCZK 500,000,000 actionwith the Pilsen Regional Court in early April, claiming Facebook is “helping fraudsters and taking money for it.”
The highstakes poker fanatic told Czech daily newspaper Hospodářské noviny, “Someone who cannot be traced and therefore doesn’t even have a license to operate has decided to use our name, our casino, and advertise on Facebook.”
He added: “As a result, a powerful medium here [Facebook] helps fraudsters and takes money for it. That’s why we’re suing Facebook for harm.
The news comes several weeks after Tsoukernik’s King’s Casino published a ‘scam warning’ over the malicious adverts for online casinos.
The King’s Scam
That warning read:
“Beware of scam! Adverts for online games app masquerading as King’s!
You may have come across a sponsored link with a photo of the Rozvadov King’s entrance, enticing you to play an online casino game. Please note that this is a scam, we have nothing to do with this advertisement!
Our logo with the King’s entrance appeared as a sponsored link to players on Facebook, enticing them with the promise of an online game.
Avoid downloading unverified gaming sites. We strongly recommend that you do not send any amount of money.
Please note that this application is not affiliated with King’s Resort.”
The adverts that have popped up repeatedly on Facebookfeature the famous King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Tsoukernik’s ‘poker island’ in the Czech Republic, which is due to play host to the WSOP Europe later this year.
Fake ads on Facebook
The fake adverts and used the phrase, “The best Czech casino is now online!” despite King’s not having a virtual cardroom. Players were encouraged to download the app, with a tempting CZK 3,000 (€115/$138) sign-up bonus offer.
Tsoukernik explained: “We’ve asked Facebook several times to delete it. But I have not experienced such ignorance on their part.
Claiming that it is Facebook’s duty to check that advertisers have the correct licences, Tsoukernik adds: “In other media, if we want to advertise, they require us to prove the license, trademarks for the logo and the like. Even two years ago, Facebook demanded it from us, so I don’t understand how they can release such fraudulent advertising.”
The casino mogul has turned to his country’s customs office for help in the legal matter, King’s Casino legal representative, Tomáš Osička, stating: “As an advertiser, Facebook must tell the regulator who the advertiser is. At the moment, the customs office is resolving the case, but we have no information about how far on they are.”
Leon “Loose Leon” Tsoukernik is no stranger to the world of high-profile and expensive lawsuits, a $2million legal fight with fellow highstakes poker player Matt Kirk eventually settled out of court.
Kirk had claimed that Tsoukernik reneged on paying $2million of the $3million losses he incurred during a drunken late-night PLO game at the Aria.
Tsoukernik countersued claiming that he was “plied with alcohol” and taken advantage of by the Aria and Kirk working together.
You can read our coverage of that high-profile case here.
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