Steve Ayers, the owner of Sacramento’s iconic Elks Tower has sued the California Gambling Control Commission after it refused to allow him to operate a card club in the tower because of a history of incidents involving alcohol.
His lawsuit filed in Sacramento Superior Court seeks to force the commission to grant him and license to operate The Elks Towner Casino and Lounge. He wants to operate a five table casino on the ground flower of the tower and serve alcohol. He has unsuccessfully sought to open the casino since 2016.
The most recent attempt was in October, when the commission held a hearing on Ayers’s application and then denied his application in January. He applied again in April and was denied a new hearing.
The commission cited two DUIs by Ayers, several public drunkenness incidents and a domestic disturbance. Almost 50 people submitted letters supporting his application. Witnesses said he had completed an alcohol recovery program and is now a community volunteer.
The lawsuit said that when Ayers applied that he was never told that his alcohol history would be used against him. When he showed up at the hearing, “he was asked to defend misdemeanors that were related to alcohol consumption for which Ayers had already successfully completed treatment, performed public service, and paid his fines and penalties,” according to the court filing.
