Former CEO Files Lawsuit Against Casino Company

Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. was sued for wrongful termination by its former chief executive, who said the casino company blamed him for a 2001 “weekend of debauchery” that led to regulatory sanctions and harassment suits.

Paul Alanis, whose resignation was announced in April by Glendale-based Pinnacle, claims that the June 2001 event at the Belterra Casino in Indiana was organized by the former chairman of Pinnacle’s board, R.D. Hubbard. Pinnacle said in a statement that it has “substantial defenses” to his allegations.

Pinnacle said in August that it would pay a $2.26-million fine to the Indiana Gaming Commission and close the Belterra Casino for three days in connection with harassment lawsuits filed against the company by two former employees.

Alanis “was unjustifiably made to appear responsible” by Pinnacle “for a weekend of debauchery” at a golf tournament that included prostitutes, according to the suit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

The company’s shares, which have risen 9% so far this year, rose 25 cents to $6.58 Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange.