A Massachusetts federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Bally's Twin River Casino filed by a patron who was robbed and beaten 50 miles from the property in August 2021.

Edward Peduto was attacked at a North Lexington service station after being followed from the Lincoln, R.I. casino. The assault left him with "severe and permanent" injuries and over $46,000 in medical bills.

The lawsuit claimed the casino breached its duty of care by failing to monitor suspicious activity and provide adequate security. It cited eight previous robberies of casino patrons near the premises and 76 violent incidents on property between January 2019 and the attack.

Judge Allison D. Burroughs ruled that while security cameras captured the suspects following Peduto, they weren't engaging in illegal activity inside the casino or parking lot. There was no indication they posed a threat that security could have reasonably identified.

The judge emphasized that duty of care depends on foreseeable risks that defendants can prevent. Since the attack occurred 50 miles away and well outside the casino's control, Bally's Twin River had no legal obligation to prevent it.

The case was dismissed without prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled. The ruling reinforces that casinos' security obligations generally don't extend beyond their premises, even when criminals initially target victims on their property.

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