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Commission fines owners of small tavern for rules violation, OKs Golden Nugget

Updated August 24, 2023 - 1:41 pm

The Nevada Gaming Commission on Thursday fined a small Northern Nevada tavern with a restricted gaming license $3,000 for failing to properly notify regulators of a change in ownership.

Commissioners approved a stipulation of settlement with Artesian Partners LLC and co-owners Anita Noble and Matthew Reardon for failing to notify regulators of a change in ownership in which Reardon sold full ownership of the Peavine Eats and Beats tavern in Reno to Noble.

In a three-count complaint from the Nevada Gaming Control Board on July 18, Noble and Reardon signed off on a settlement agreement that waived a public hearing on the matter and fined them a total of $3,000.

According to the complaint, Reardon and Noble in April 2021 successfully received a restricted gaming license from the Gaming Commission that allowed them to operate up to 15 slot machines at their business.

But the complaint said two months later, Noble made the second of two payments totaling $150,000 to Reardon to acquire full interest in the tavern. The licensees didn’t notify regulators until August of that year in violation of gaming regulations.

Following approval of the settlement, commissioners then voted unanimously to approve the transfer of ownership.

Noble appeared at the Las Vegas meeting, but made no comments about the matter. Reardon was scheduled to appear remotely from Carson City but was called away by a family emergency.

Commissioners said the disciplinary action could be chalked up as a learning experience for Noble, who attended an educational licensing workshop in June.

Golden Nugget approved

Earlier in the meeting, the commission unanimously approved licensing for Tilman Fertitta to expand his Golden Nugget brand to Lake Tahoe.

Regulators waived Ferttita’s commission appearance.

Fertitta announced in March that his company had purchased the 539-room Hard Rock Lake Tahoe in a cash deal for an undisclosed price. Company officials confirmed they would make $227 million in improvements for the Lake Tahoe property and a convention facility at the property debuted last week.

Fertitta Entertainment controls casino properties in downtown Las Vegas, Laughlin, and in Lake Charles, Louisiana; Biloxi, Mississippi; Atlantic City; and Cripple Creek, Colorado.

His company is in the midst of modifying the Wildwood Casino in Cripple Creek, and developing a property in Danville, Illinois.

In Las Vegas, Fertitta also is exploring development of a Strip property. The Houston billionaire has filed plans for a 43-story, 2,420-room hotel-casino on a plot of real estate he purchased in 2022 for $270 million.

The upscale project, on roughly 6 acres at the southeast corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Harmon Avenue, calls for restaurants, convention space, a spa, wedding chapel, auto showroom and a theater with around 2,500 seats, Clark County records show.

It would also include suites and villas, VIP salons and a bar and lounge for high-limit gamblers, building plans indicate.

No other details on the Las Vegas proposal were discussed.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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