Tose Says Gambling Debts Not His Fault

An Atlantic City casino plied former Philadelphia Eagle owner Leonard H. Tose with free drinks and forced him to gamble while drunk, causing him to lose millions of dollars at the blackjack table, his attorney said Friday.

Now Tose is asking a federal judge to absolve him of more than $1 million in debts amassed at the Sands Hotel Casino. Between June 1981 and April 1986, Tose lost $14.6 million at the casino, records show. That was repaid, and the casino is seeking to recover an additional debt of $1.3 million.

Tose, 77, of Villanova, Pa., said casino officials fed him an endless supply of drinks. On some occasions, he needed assistance to get to the men’s room and was unable to legibly sign markers--casino IOUs--his lawsuit contends.

“The law says they should not allow a person to gamble when he is not in his right mind and allow him to continue to drink,” Philadelphia attorney A. Charles Peruto Sr. said. “It’s his contention they didn’t follow the law and as a result he got fleeced.”

Tose also is seeking punitive damages.

Sands spokesman Jim Wise declined comment on the legal dispute that began in January, 1991, when the gaming hall filed suit to recover $1.3 million in unpaid debts.

But in court documents, the Sands said Tose was a poor blackjack player who did not use any basic strategy, according a memorandum filed this week by his attorney.