Troubled Compton casino closed down

Saturday, Oct. 11, 1997 | 9:10 a.m.

Actions against the Crystal Park Casino were taken by Attorney General Dan Lungren and Compton police about 9 a.m., said Lungren spokesman Matt Ross.

A hotel and other businesses on the property were not affected, Ross said.

The year-old casino was closed because owner Rouben Kandilian refused to meet terms of a stipulated agreement reached June 6, allowing him to keep his license if he ensured card club patrons would be compensated for all poker chips, said a statement from the Attorney General's Office.

A review of the casino's books found more than $660,000 in chips owed to four patrons appeared to have been moved into different accounts to hide the fact that at the time, the card club had only 60 percent of cash needed to pay for all of the outstanding poker chips, Lungren's statement said.

Terms of the settlement called for a higher amount of cash to be on hand.

"The improprieties discovered at Crystal Park Casino underscore the necessity of providing adequate resources to regulate the cardroom industry," Lungren said.

A telephone number listed to Kandilian in Palm Desert rang unanswered Saturday night. There was no telephone listings for the casino.

In addition, Kandilian owes more than $1.4 million in back taxes and fees to the City of Compton, and more than $350,000 in back rent to Hollywood Park. His line of credit is also exhausted, the statement said.

Lungren's office also discovered that the card club was conducting card games prohibited under California law. The statement did not elaborate. The casino has about 110 tables, said Lungren spokesman Rob Stutzman.

Compton also revoked Kandilian's gambling license for failure to comply with city ordinances.