The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) has confirmed that it intends to move forward with further disciplinary proceedings in conjunction with the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) against Steve Wynn, former CEO of Wynn Resorts Ltd., over allegations of sexual harassment.
The casino mogul, who now resides in Florida, has been embroiled in numerous legal controversies over the last five-plus years, but has maintained that he is not subject to regulatory discipline due to the fact that he is no longer associated with his former company and no longer holds any gaming licenses.
NGCB Chairman Brin Gibson said in an email to the Las Vegas Review-Journal that “At this point, the board is preparing to recommence the action against Mr. Wynn.” He added that “The board maintains the Nevada Gaming Commission has full authority to decide the proposed regulatory complaint against Mr. Wynn.”
Gibson did not set a date for the new hearings, but noted that the matter is separate from a previously settled action against Wynn Resorts that resulted in a $20 million fine for the company, which was also related to allegations of sexual harassment.
Wynn and Nevada officials have been engaged in a legal game of cat-and-mouse since at least October of 2019, when the NGCB first accused the former CEO of violating state regulations by failing to properly “exercise discretion and sound judgment” to prevent incidents that might reflect poorly on the state.
The formal complaint was centered around a number of accusations of harassment from female Wynn Resorts employees. In December of that year, Wynn appeared before the NGC and argued that the agency had no jurisdiction over him after he relinquished his connections to the company.
The complaint issued against Wynn was never heard because his attorneys refused to cooperate with regulators until a court formally ordered them to do so. The case was then sent to Clark County District Court—Judge Adriana Escobar ruled in Wynn’s favor in November 2020. The NGCB subsequently appealed to the Nevada Supreme Court, which delivered a complicated ruling, saying that Wynn could not appeal a regulatory decision until the matter was actually adjudicated in proceedings.
Now, state regulators are working to arrange those proceedings so that the matter can be resolved once and for all.
“As required by the Nevada Supreme Court, the District Court has remanded the action back to the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the Nevada Gaming Commission for further proceedings,” Gibson told the Review-Journal.
To this point, Wynn has not been formally charged or convicted for any sexual-related crimes.
