GGRAsia – Mass. completes Steve Wynn ‘sexual misconduct’ probe

Mass. completes Steve Wynn ‘sexual misconduct’ probe

Jan 11, 2019 Newsdesk Latest News, Top of the deck, World

The gaming regulator in Massachusetts, in the United States, says its has finished an enquiry into allegations of sexual misconduct against Steve Wynn and the handling of the case by casino operator Wynn Resorts Ltd.

Mr Wynn (pictured in a file photo) is the founder and a former chairman and chief executive of Wynn Resorts, a United States-based operator of casinos, but resigned from the firm in February last year amid the sex claims, which he has denied. The Wynn group runs two casino resorts in the Macau market via Wynn Macau Ltd.

Massachusetts says it will keep the findings on its probe into Mr Wynn – in relation to the group’s Encore Boston Harbor project – under wraps for the time being. That is pending the outcome of a Nevada court case about the confidentiality of some material provided by Wynn Resorts to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and said to involve communication between Mr Wynn and his legal representation.

The Bloomberg news agency reported Massachusetts Gaming Commission executive director Ed Bedrosian had said the investigation had been completed. But the report also quoted a lawyer for the commission, David Mackey, who reiterated no findings or conclusion would be made public until legal teams had assessed a court ruling in Nevada that prohibits the disclosure of some information.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper reported on January 4 that the Nevada court would maintain its ban on the public disclosure of the findings of the inquiry by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. The newspaper said the court had advised lawyers for Mr Wynn, Wynn Resorts and the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to settle their differences over making public certain documents and transcripts. Mr Wynn contends they are confidential, on the grounds that they are privileged communications between lawyer and client.

The outcome of the legal tussle on that point, and the admissibility of the material said to be involved, could affect the final content of the Massachusetts regulator’s report. The state is deciding on the suitability of Wynn Resorts to hold a casino licence for its US$2.6-billion Encore Boston Harbor resort, which is due to open in June. It regards the handling by Wynn Resorts of sexual misconduct allegations against Mr Wynn as relevant to its enquiries, even though he has severed links with the casino business.

The Bloomberg report quoted Mr Mackey as saying he was waiting to receive the Nevada court ruling in writing. Mr Mackey stated that once he had received it, the investigators would assess what might have to be removed from their report.

Gaming regulators in Macau, Nevada and Massachusetts started making particular enquiries about Mr Wynn and Wynn Resorts after media reporting in January last year of “sexual misconduct” allegations against him. The firm also said it had subsequently run an investigation into his behaviour.

The Wall Street Journal published what it said were first-hand accounts of women alleging respectively they had been coerced into having sex with Mr Wynn. There were also claims of the entrepreneur exposing himself to females. Mr Wynn has denied all the allegations.

In the 12 months since the claims were publicised, Wynn Resorts has replaced many of its directors and executives.