Leonard Tose Has Lost It

CAMDEN, N.J. — A jury Thursday rejected claims by Leonard H. Tose, former owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, that an Atlantic City casino plied him with drinks, causing him to lose $1.2 million at the blackjack table.

The eight-member jury deliberated for eight hours over two days before reaching the verdict in the two-week civil case. The trial was the second stemming from a 1991 lawsuit filed by Tose against the casino.

Tose sought to recoup the money he lost at the Sands Hotel Casino on three dates in 1985. His lawsuit charged that he was “visibly and obviously intoxicated” while gambling.

In a ruling stemming from the first trial in the case, U.S. District Judge Joseph E. Irenas ruled that casinos that allow patrons to gamble while obviously intoxicated are strictly liable for losses incurred.

Sands officials denied the allegations, although they admitted giving Tose the high-roller treatment. He had an extensive credit line and a private betting table where a security guard kept curiosity seekers at bay while Tose gambled for hours.

Tose, 78, of Villanova, Pa., lost $14.6 million in Atlantic City casinos between 1981 and 1986, records show. Gambling debts forced Tose to sell the football franchise in 1985.

An admitted compulsive gambler and alcohol abuser, Tose gambled alone, usually playing seven hands simultaneously and wagering $35,000 per game.