As reported several days ago by the Las Vegas Review Journal news outlet, the Nevada-based Gaming Control Board has filed a five-count lawsuit and complaint against the Wynn Resorts Limited former owner, Steve Wynn. This complaint, in particular, could potentially prevent the former Wynn Resorts Limited CEO and Chairman from receiving a state-issued gaming license ever again.
According to the same news outlet which revealed the news, an investigation conducted by the Nevada Gaming Control Board alleges that Steve Wynn violated his Nevada-issued gaming licensing by sexually harassing several female employees. The same news outlet also reported that the seventy-seven-year-old former owner and CEO of Wynn Resorts Limited who currently lives in Florida resigned from this position in February of 2018.
After his official resignation at the positions, Steve Wynn also sold his while stake in the casino company. Before this, Steve Wynn faces numerous publications by prominent news outlets including The Wall Street Journal which expressed claims that the business mogul had sexually harassed female workers. It was also revealed that Steve Wynn used private settlements in order to hush up these allegations.
Massive Damage to the Reputation
It is needless to say that these allegations led to massive reputation damage not only to Steve Wynn but also for Wynn Resorts Limited. The official lawsuit against Steve Wynn was signed by the Nevada Gaming Control Board’s officials including Sandra Morgan, Terry Johnson, and Philip Katsaros. The Nevada-based regulator said that the allegations in question here, as well as the alleged actions, have harmed the development and reputation of the entire state’s gaming industry.
The first count of the official complaint addresses the failure by Steve Wynn to abide by his company’s policies related to sexual harassment. After the Nevada Gaming Control Board’s official investigation into the issue found strong evidence of several instances of sexual harassment by Steve Wynn, the board of officials finally filed this five-count complaint.
The investigation also in detail shared all incidents including the one from 2005 when Steve Wynn sexually harassed an employed manicurist and later on offered a private settlement worth around $7.5. Another similar incident happened in 2006 when Steve Wynn handled payment of around $975K to a waitress to keep quiet about being sexually harassed.
As reported, Steve Wynn continually denied all of these accusations even though his former company was fined around $20 million by the Nevada-based Gaming Commission for failing to efficiently investigate claims from eight female workers. This was not the only fine that Wynn Resorts Limited was ordered to pay as the company was forced to handle over $35 million amid allegations that the company failed to appropriately divulge those secret payments from its former boss at the time of applying for a gaming license for the Encore Boston Harbor facility.
The Company Abandoning the Race for Osaka Casino License
After the news about Steve Wynn facing more legal issues emerged, his former company’s officials revealed that Wynn Resorts Limited is abandoning the race for operating a fully integrated casino and hotel resort in Osaka. With this move, Wynn Resorts Limited became the third international, foreign company to announce that it has given up this race.
The Las Vegas-based company used its official press release to declare that it will now focus on securing necessary licenses to construct and operate one of the nation’s upcoming casino resorts which are planned for the Kanto area which is home to Yokohama and Tokyo as well as smaller cities including Kawasaki and Chiba.
Even though the majority of gambling activities are illegal in Japan today, one of the recently passed legislation allowed a trio of casino licenses. To become selected to one of three casino licenses, interested companies have to submit their final plans to the Tokyo’s central government. As reported, ten Japanese communities have already entered this race while Osaka is generally considered to be one of the major runners.
Before the Wynn Resorts Limited’s officials revealed that the company is abandoning this race, another American company shared the same news, Las Vegas Sands Corporation. The same move was made by Melco Resorts and Entertainment Limited. On the other hand, the companies which are still in the race including Genting Malaysia Bethad, Galaxy Group, and MGM Resorts.
