MGM National Harbor takes $76,000 tip from cocktail waitress

For a brief period, Tajia Mackyeon fulfilled every service employee's dream of receiving a gratuity large enough to significantly help her life. After winning several games at the baccarat table, a man insisted on leaving the casino cocktail waitress a gratuity of $76,000, which is more than her annual income. However, Mackyeon claims that the management of the casino quickly seized it, and she never saw her tip again.

Mackyeon has now filed a federal complaint against MGM National Harbor Resort & Casino. According to her complaint, the casino took her tip in violation of labor regulations, thereby committing conversion and, arguably, theft. She is requesting nearly $1 million in additional damages and legal penalties. MGM National Harbor has not yet responded or commented.

Wage Theft and Tips

Mackyeon's narrative closely mirrors the issues facing many United States service workers, particularly in the food and hotel industries. Because Mackyeon was a tipped employee, the casino was exempt from paying the state minimum wage because it could assume that she would make up the difference in tips.

For many larger firms, including MGM National Harbor, tips and minimum wage payments are governed by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). States may set higher minimum salaries and mandate that companies pay the full minimum wage regardless of gratuities. Despite this, American employees are sometimes victimized by wage fraud and tip confiscation in companies of all sizes.

The National Institute for Workers' Rights estimates that pay theft costs American workers $15 billion annually, of which relatively little is recovered. Low-paid workers are typically the most vulnerable to wage theft since they can't afford to fight it. Immigrants, women, and members of minority groups make up a large portion of the service workforce. They frequently lack union representation. It may be challenging for them to attempt to assert their rights because they have few personal resources. But in Mackyeon's case, she might be able to get a sizable sum of money back.

Mackyeon and “The Generous Customer”

As of now, the only readily-available public information about the incident comes from Mackyeon's lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

Mackyeon worked as a cocktail server at Prince George's County, Maryland's MGM National Harbor Resort & Casino. She served a customer who is only referred to in the complaint as "the Generous Customer." The Generous Customer had been successfully playing high-stakes baccarat for several hours, wagering up to $25,000. He placed $76,000 worth of chips in Mackyeon's hands at around two in the morning. The customer affirmed three times that he wanted Mackyeon to have them when she asked him repeatedly if he was certain. He then returned to the tables and resumed his gambling.

Mackyeon’s supervisor and a manager of table games ordered Mackyeon to turn over the chips after her shift concluded. Mackyeon “believed that if she did not comply she would be forced to do so.” Afterwards, she kept asking them about the tip, but they never gave her any information. The generous customer received the money back from the casino. It is unclear from the lawsuit whether or not he requested it.

When he gave her a gratuity and addressed her inquiries, the Generous Customer was not in any apparent state of confusion or impairment, according to Mackyeon. The casino's policy is to step in only when it appears that a patron is unable to make competent decisions about his own money, according to the complaint. The Generous Customer never experienced this. If he had placed a $76,000 roulette bet on 'red,' and lost, [the casino] would not have given it back, according to the complaint.

Her Accusations: Theft and Unfair Labor Practices

Mackyeon is suing MGM for damages on nine different claims, encompassing Maryland state law violations, including failure to pay her minimum wage, since it retained her tip.

Source:

“Lawsuit Claims Casino Took Jackpot Tip from Waitress” , Amy O'Neal, J.D., www.findlaw.com/legalblogs, last updated May 11, 2026.