Nevada Judge Dismissed NGCB Authority over Steve Wynn

Attempts by Nevada gaming regulators to find Steve Wynn unsuitable to hold a gaming license were dismissed by a Las Vegas judge, who ruled the former casino mogul was no longer associated with the casino industry.

NGCB Has No Authority

Clark Country District Judge Adriana Escobar issued a ruling Thursday in favor of arguments brought by Wynn’s attorneys related to his resignation in 2018 and the sale of his holdings in the company. The ruling stated that the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) had no longer legal authority over Steve Wynn who effectively removed from the casino and hospitality company.

Judge Escobar stated in the ruling that respondents failed “to provide any authority supporting their jurisdiction” regarding a person who was no longer involved with the gaming industry in the state in any capacity, and, had no intent to be involved in the future, because “there is none”.

Moreover, Escobar said in her ruling that attorneys for the regulator conceded to the fact that historically, the regulator “never sought to investigate, discipline, or fine a person that has completely divested themselves from the gaming industry” and has no intent of coming back.

Five-Count Complaint Was Moot

The NGCB filed a complaint in October 2019 seeking to find Steve Wynn unsuitable to be involved with the gaming industry as a whole, and two months later, the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) decided on its own it had the authority and jurisdiction to issue a ruling on the matter, yet allowed a judicial review for Wynn’s attorneys.

During the video court hearings held on September 17 and November 17, the judge accepted arguments made by Wynn’s lawyer, Las Vegas attorney Don Campbell, who stated the five-count complaint against Steve Wynn was “moot”.

The first four counts were over the alleged sexual misconduct and harassment which Steve Wynn denied, and in July 2020 a federal judge dismissed the collective lawsuit. The fifth count was for an alleged Wynn failure to appear before an NGCB hearing.

In December, during a hearing before the NGC, Campbell told commissioners Steve Wynn moved out of a company-owned villa along the golf course of Wynn Las Vegas, stating Wynn had no financial interest and control over the company.

“In less than 90 days, he ended all personal involvement and ended a nearly 50-year career in Nevada gaming.”

Attorney Don Campbell

Following the court decision, the NGCB issued a statement that the substance of the ruling was being considered in consultation with the regulator’s attorneys and with regards to possible next steps.