County awaits Frontier probes

Jeff Schweers

Wednesday, Jan. 15, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

County Commissioners are waiting to see the outcome of investigations by the State Gaming Control Board and the FBI before deciding whether to take any action themselves against the Frontier hotel-casino's licenses.

Privilege licenses in the unincorporated county, which includes the Strip, are granted by the commission, acting as the Liquor and Gaming Board.

County Commissioner Myrna Williams, the current chairwoman of the Liquor and Gaming Board, said she's had no indication that the Frontier's licenses would come up for review.

"I understand complaints were filed with Metro," Williams said. "We will have to wait and see what the situation is."

County Commission Chairwoman Yvonne Atkinson Gates said things may have reached the point that it bears scrutiny.

"It's something we certainly need to take into consideration," Gates said. "But we haven't received an official complaint."

The SUN reported last week that FBI and gaming control agents have begun interviewing former Frontier employees who have alleged spying and other unlawful conduct by hotel-casino officials during the Culinary Union's five-year strike.

Last week, workers filed 75 complaints with Metro alleging wrongdoing after Sheriff Jerry Keller said his department would not investigate until some of the victims stepped forward.

To date, the Metro has not investigated the complaints.

Commissioner Lorraine Hunt, a former chief of the Nevada tourism board, said she hasn't been following the details, but thinks the publicity could be detrimental to the Strip's image.

"Anything that is disruptive to the community is not good for the tourist industry," Hunt said. "I hate when worldwide attention is given to family disputes, so to speak. It needs to be taken care of professionally."

The board has the power to review and revoke licenses for cause, usually following an investigation by Metro and the county's business license department.

Williams said it would be wrong to try to revoke the licenses without due process, since such action would effectively shut down the casino.

"It is a privileged license, but it seems to me the allegation isn't enough to yank somebody's license," Williams said. "I think what we have to do is find out what all the facts are, see the results of those investigations. Then if we need to take action, we need to do that."

Business License Director Ardel Jorgensen said the commission can't get involved in labor disputes. But if the investigations lead to something that affects the Frontier's ability to to operate or affects its liquor license, Jorgensen said, "then we would be involved."

Jorgensen said the local board usually takes its cues from the state board.

"The hardcore reality is that if gaming control doesn't do anything, the county doesn't do anything," she said.

Normally, an investigation is triggered when someone first applies for a liquor license, Jorgensen said, but occasionally a business is investigated after it received a license if the county is urged to look into it.

Jorgensen said, however, that she can't remember the last time the county pulled an existing license.

The Las Vegas City Council made the extraordinary move of revoking the license of the crime-plagued Long Branch Saloon last October, and last April restricted the hours of operation for the Queen of Hearts Hotel.