Gaming board files complaint to ban Steve Wynn from casino industry

The state Gaming Control Board has filed a five-count complaint against Steve Wynn alleging sexual harassment of several female employees and violating state licensing suitability regulations.

Wynn could not be reached Monday, but has steadily denied ever harassing anyone in the 21 months since allegations were first disclosed in a Wall Street Journal story in January 2018.

Wynn, 77, is believed to be living in Florida.

The 23-page complaint, signed by Control Board Chairwoman Sandra Morgan and members Terry Johnson and Philip Katsaros on Monday, seeks a revocation of Wynn’s finding of suitability from the Nevada Gaming Commission that would likely prevent him from ever being licensed again by the state.

The commission has been asked to serve the complaint on Wynn, who will have 15 days to respond.

The complaint also asks the commission to fine Wynn, who stepped down as chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts Ltd. in February 2018 and sold off all his stock in the company a month later.

The five counts of the complaint each addresses Wynn’s failure to exercise discretion and sound judgment to prevent incidents that might reflect on the repute of the state and act as a detriment to the development of the gaming industry.

The first count of the complaint addresses his failure to adhere to his company’s policies regarding sexual harassment.

“The Gaming Control Board’s investigation found evidence of multiple instances of sexual contact by Mr. Wynn involving subordinate employees,” the complaint alleges. “By engaging in this conduct, whether consensual or not, Mr. Wynn disregarded Wynn Company’s policies and procedures.”

The second count addresses Wynn’s conduct through his role as chairman and CEO of the company “and given the inherent disparity of power between himself and the employees with whom he has had sexual relations.”

The third count explicitly addresses a 2005 accusation that Wynn had sexually assaulted a Wynn Las Vegas salon manicurist and a $7.5 million settlement Wynn paid to the employee and her husband through a private account Wynn financed. The settlement was not disclosed to the company’s board of directors.

The fourth count focuses on a $975,000 settlement with a cocktail server and her parents in 2006.

The fifth count involves Wynn’s failure to respond to the Sept. 7, 2018, hearing set by investigators. The order to appear was hand-delivered to Wynn’s attorney in an Aug. 30, 2018, meeting.

Wynn Resorts already has been punished by gaming regulators in Nevada and Massachusetts. In February, the Nevada Gaming Commission fined the company $20 million — by far the highest fine ever assessed by Nevada regulators — for its failure to investigate claims from at least eight women that they were sexually harassed in the workplace.

Three months later, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission fined the company $35 million and CEO Matt Maddox $500,000 on similar findings.

The complaint also said Wynn was asked to appear before Control Board investigators for a hearing to address allegations against him.

“The notice informed Mr. Wynn that his failure to appear and testify fully shall constitute grounds for the revocation of his findings of suitability,” the complaint says. “Mr. Wynn, however, refused to — and did not — attend the hearing.”

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.

NGC 19-03 Complaint by Tony Garcia on Scribd