Nevada Gaming Regulators Consider Policy Change Regarding Winnings for Trespassing Gamblers
Posted on: October 30, 2023, 02:05h
Last updated on: October 30, 2023, 02:05h
Nevada gaming regulators are deliberating on whether to update state gaming policy to address the issue of paying winnings to gamblers who trespass casinos where they’ve been previously banned.
During its October 4 meeting, the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) ruled in favor of a trespassing gambler, Rhon Wilson, who won a $1,660 jackpot on April 28 at the Casablanca Resort and Casino in Mesquite. Wilson had been banned from the casino since March 2011 for stealing a $1 beer and had been removed from the property multiple times. Casablanca management sought to withhold his winnings, but the NGCB ordered the payout.
Wilson triggered the threshold for a mandatory payout—$1,200 or more—requiring a slot attendant to pay out the prize and provide the winner with an IRS W-2G form. The casino detected Wilson’s exclusion from the property upon winning the $1,660 jackpot.
Casablanca, owned and operated by Mesquite Gaming, also owns and manages the Virgin River Hotel Casino in Mesquite.
State Considerations for Trespassers’ Winnings
In a rare split decision, the NGCB ruled 2-1 in favor of paying Wilson his jackpot and outstanding credits. NGCB Chair Kirk Hendrick and Dr. Brittnie Watkins formed the majority, while former Las Vegas Municipal Court Judge George Assad dissented.
Hendrick cited the state’s longstanding practice of requiring casinos to pay winnings to trespassers, while Assad argued that just because something has been in place for years doesn’t necessarily make it a good policy.
Assad voiced his opposition during the NGCB review, stating, “It’s a bad policy. Just because the policy has been on the books for a number of years doesn’t mean it’s good policy.”
The NGCB’s ruling is final and does not require approval from the Nevada Gaming Commission.
Following the ruling, the NGCB held a regulatory workshop on October 18 to discuss the issue of allowing trespassing individuals to collect their winnings.
Trespassing cases involving casinos are not uncommon, with Clark County Assistant District Attorney Christopher Lalli stating that there were 87 such cases in July alone, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Assad Advocates for Change
During the October 18 regulatory workshop, no action was taken, but Assad publicly called on Hendrick and Watkins to join him in implementing a new policy that would prohibit individuals who have been trespassed from winning at casinos where they are not allowed.
Dick Tomasso, Vice President of Security and Government Affairs for Mesquite Gaming, highlighted the cost implications of cross-checking a casino’s banned list with individuals attempting to enter.
Since Wilson’s name is not on the NGCB’s Excluded Person List, security would not have been alerted when they scanned his license. It is more likely that a security guard simply checked Wilson’s identification to confirm he is at least 21 years old before allowing entry.