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The legal fight over Eugene Melnyk’s alleged gambling debt appears to have taken on a life of its own.

A Connecticut casino run by the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority on Monday filed a revised complaint against Melnyk, seeking payment for debts the Senators owner allegedly incurred in 2017 at the famous Mohegan Sun casino and resort.

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Melnyk paid for his $900,000 debt (all figures U.S.) through five separate drafts that TD Bank declined to honour. In its initial suit filed last July the gaming authority sought repayment of the debt, along with $200,000 or so in interest.

While early indications were that the lawsuit would be quickly resolved, it has steadily increased in complexity.

Melnyk last week filed papers that outlined three potential defences: first, that MTGA had failed to present the bank drafts in time and second, that such delays might have prompted a cautious TD Bank to not honour the amounts. The third potential defence, Melnyk’s lawyer pointed out, would focus on the role the casino played in inducing Melnyk to keep gambling until he had lost a small fortune.