Gaming Board moves in $5,000 chips dispute

Tuesday, March 16, 1999 | 11:52 a.m.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board revealed the names of two more gamblers whose attempts to redeem $5,000 poker chips at Binion's Horseshoe hotel-casino have been rebuffed.

Well-known are Las Vegas gambler and casino developer Bob Stupak's attempts to cash $250,000 in the brown chips. But Binion's has also refused to cash $865,000 in the chips held by Hamid Dastmalchi, a San Diego poker player and former World Series of Poker Champion; and $110,000 held by Wayman R. Moore, a high-stakes poker player from Georgia.

Binion's announced last fall it would discontinue the $5,000 chips Jan. 1. It cashed millions of dollars worth of the chips, but declined to cash chips for patrons whose winnings it could not verify.

Board agents have ordered Binion's to redeem all three claims, which total $1,225,000. Binion's has appealed the orders to pay Stupak and Moore, and has until Thursday to appeal the Dastmalchi order.

Appealed orders are heard by Board hearing examiners, and must be approved by the full three-member Gaming Control Board. Board decisions in such disputes are final and are not reviewed by the Nevada Gaming Commission, said Todd Westergard, research specialist at the Board. Any further appeal must be taken up in State District Court, he said.

A hearing examiner is scheduled to hear Binion's appeal of the Stupak order on March 30. The casino's requests for additional evidence could delay that hearing, but Westergard said no continuance has been requested.

A hearing date has not been set in the Moore case, said Westergard. In the Dastmalchi case, a hearing will not be set unless Binion's appeals the Board enforcement division order. If Binion's appeals the Dastmalchi order, Westergard may consolidate the two petitions into a single hearing.