Stewart Told To Pay Casino

A federal judge has ordered Rod Stewart to pay $3 million to Harrah’s Entertainment for a canceled Las Vegas show.

Stewart’s attorneys said the ruling will be appealed.

The dispute centered on a contract for a Millennium concert that took place at Harrah’s Rio Suite Hotel & Casino December 31, 1999. The casino paid Stewart $3 million for that performance.

Negotiations resulted in a contract amendment for a second show the following New Year’s Eve in which Stewart would be paid $2 million. However, the singer underwent throat surgery that summer for thyroid cancer and had to cancel. He kept the advance.

Harrah’s took the singer to court and he lost a jury decision last year. Stewart was ordered to pay the $2 million deposit plus interest.

Stemming from that decision, U.S. District Judge Larry Hicks ordered the singer March 6th to pay more than $1 million more in interest, attorney fees and penalties. His lawyers were ordered to pay $153,483 in contempt-of-court sanctions and legal costs for failing to turn over information to Harrah’s lawyers prior to trial last year.

Stewart attorney Louis “Skip” Miller declined to comment on the sanctions but said the verdict and jury award will be appealed.

Harrah’s attorney Kristina Pickering said the casino company intends to ask the court to order Stewart to reimburse it for additional attorney fees and court costs.

The rocker testified last year that he offered to play two shows for the price of the canceled one. Harrah’s CEO Gary Loveman testified that his company was under “great pressure” to schedule the second concert and it was an agreement he was unhappy with, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.