Gaming Control Board appeals Wynn court ruling

The Nevada Gaming Control Board Wednesday voted to grant authority for an appeal of a ruling that the state’s gaming regulators didn’t have the ability to find Steve Wynn unsuitable for a gaming license once he departed Wynn Resorts. 

The unanimous vote came at the end of a more than five-hour meeting, and there was no discussion about the appeal over last month’s ruling by Clark County District Court Judge Adriana Escobar. 

The formal language granted authority to file a notice of appeal regarding the Eighth Judicial District Court’s order in the case of Stephen A. Wynn vs. the Nevada Gaming Commission and Nevada Gaming Control Board. 

Wynn stepped away from Wynn Resorts in 2018 after he was accused of sexually harassing employees — allegations denied by Wynn.  

In a 2019 complaint, the Gaming Control Board accused Wynn of violating the state’s gaming regulations. Its complaint against Wynn said in sexually harassing employees, the allegations were covered up with confidential settlements that ran into millions of dollars. 

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“Respondents fail to provide any authority supporting their jurisdiction over a person no longer involved in Nevada’s gaming industry in any capacity,” Escobar wrote in her conclusion of the 14-page opinion. “Importantly, respondents fail to support their position that they have jurisdiction over a person with no intent to be involved in Nevada’s gaming industry in the future. Why? There is none. In fact, the Commission conceded that respondents have never sought to investigate, discipline, or fine a person that has completely divested themselves of the gaming industry with no intent of returning prior to the Board’s filing of the underlying complaint. 

“The court finds that respondents lack jurisdiction over petitioner under the Act and relevant Commission regulations because petitioner has no material involvement, directly or indirectly, with a licensed gaming operation or registered holding company.”

About the Author

Buck Wargo

Buck Wargo is a former journalist with the Los Angeles Times and has been based in Las Vegas as a business, real estate and gaming reporter since 2005.

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