Casino Choice UK News Archive
WSOP Champion responds to lawsuit
Gold now claims he has no intention of sharing his winnings with Leyser, on who’s answerphone he left a message on the final day of the WSOP main-event in which he said: “There’s no possible way you’re not going to get your half after taxes.” Gold says he changed his mind after Leyser “unnecessarily” filed suit so soon after the tournament ended and at a time when Gold was still planning on giving Leyser a share of the winnings. Gold says the lawsuit has tarnished his reputation.
Gold also claims that his agreement with Leyser was no more than the promise of a gift, and did not amount to a contract. Leyser has claimed that Gold agreed to give him half of his potential winnings in exchange for Leyser procuring two celebrities two play in the WSOP main-event wearing Bodog branded logo.
In his filing Gold disputes this claim, saying he only agreed to give Leyser half his winnings after Leyser had procured the celebrities but had been refused a seat by Bodog. Gold claims he simply felt sorry for Leyser and wanted to take care of him.
This is confirmed in Gold’s motion where it says: “It was only after Plaintiff secured Lillard and Shepard (the two minor celebs recruited by Leyser), AND NOT IN EXCHANGE FOR THIS SERVICE, that Gold expressed a desire to assist Plaintiff by sharing a portion of any winnings. Gold's offer was nothing more than a promise to make a gift.”
By way of an explanation for the infamous voice message, the existence of which has already been acknowledged by Gold and his lawyers, Gold claims that he left it “hoping to remove Leyser as a distraction”. Gold claims that as he went deeper into the tournament Leyser began to harass him incessantly, calling him “almost hourly” and doing so even when Gold was at the poker tables. Gold says that as the phone calls and text messages grew more frequent he left Leyser the answerphone message in order to stop him from calling so often.
Leyser’s attorney Richard Schonfield yesterday responded to Gold’s filing, claiming the idea that the promise was an unenforceable gift was “absurd”. He went on to say that he was even more confident of success since Gold filed his motion.
Gold also claims that his agreement with Leyser was no more than the promise of a gift, and did not amount to a contract. Leyser has claimed that Gold agreed to give him half of his potential winnings in exchange for Leyser procuring two celebrities two play in the WSOP main-event wearing Bodog branded logo.
In his filing Gold disputes this claim, saying he only agreed to give Leyser half his winnings after Leyser had procured the celebrities but had been refused a seat by Bodog. Gold claims he simply felt sorry for Leyser and wanted to take care of him.
This is confirmed in Gold’s motion where it says: “It was only after Plaintiff secured Lillard and Shepard (the two minor celebs recruited by Leyser), AND NOT IN EXCHANGE FOR THIS SERVICE, that Gold expressed a desire to assist Plaintiff by sharing a portion of any winnings. Gold's offer was nothing more than a promise to make a gift.”
By way of an explanation for the infamous voice message, the existence of which has already been acknowledged by Gold and his lawyers, Gold claims that he left it “hoping to remove Leyser as a distraction”. Gold claims that as he went deeper into the tournament Leyser began to harass him incessantly, calling him “almost hourly” and doing so even when Gold was at the poker tables. Gold says that as the phone calls and text messages grew more frequent he left Leyser the answerphone message in order to stop him from calling so often.
Leyser’s attorney Richard Schonfield yesterday responded to Gold’s filing, claiming the idea that the promise was an unenforceable gift was “absurd”. He went on to say that he was even more confident of success since Gold filed his motion.
Submitted: 2006/11/07 at 12:43:10
