Las Vegas attorney named to state Gaming Commission

Cy Ryan and Kevin Rademacher

Friday, June 25, 2004 | 10:46 a.m.

John T. Moran Jr., a high-profile Las Vegas lawyer and former sheriff's deputy who has already served on two state boards, today was named to the Nevada Gaming Commission that oversees the state's casino industry.

Gov. Kenny Guinn announced the appointment of Moran, a Democrat, to succeed Augie Gurrola, also of Las Vegas, who served 12 years on the commission and is retiring.

Moran has been serving on the state Wildlife Commission of which he was chairman for two years and prior to that was a member of the Colorado River Commission. He left the CRC about 10 years ago.

Guinn said Moran, 57, was an excellent member of the Wildlife Commission.

"He is a person of great integrity. As one of our state's finest attorneys, he has a level of understanding and sophistication regarding the gaming industry that will serve the citizens of Nevada very well."

Speaking on a mobile phone en route to his final Wildlife Commission meeting in Elko, Moran today said he was excited to be joining the Gaming Commission at such an interesting time for the industry.

"I am really looking forward to the challenge," he said, acknowledging mergers, Indian gaming and Internet gambling as key issues. "These are exciting times for the state of Nevada. I'm glad to give my time to it."

Moran has been an attorney in Southern Nevada for more than 25 years and is founding partner of the law firm of Moran & Associates. His late father, John Moran, was Clark County Sheriff from 1982 until his retirement in 1994. His son John T. Moran III was appointed this month as pro temp judge in the Henderson municipal court.

While declining to speak about specific issues facing the commission, Moran said his primary objective will be preserving the integrity of the gaming industry.

"Integrity is a very important aspect of Nevada's gaming industry," he said. "We set the watermark for the nation."

Moran added that he will bring his law enforcement experience to that effort to preserve the industry's integrity.

He was a Clark County sheriff's deputy for one year, in 1969.

The five-member commission meets one or two days a month to take final actions on the recommendations of the investigative state Gaming Control Board. It makes the final decisions on new regulations and disciplinary actions. Commissioners are paid $40,000 a year.

This will tip the balance on the commission to 3-2 in favor of Democrats. It was 2-2 with Gurrola, a political independent.

Moran was one of a group of investors who recently received approval from the Las Vegas City Council to buy the old Sears Building at 601 Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas. The group has promised to turn it into the cornerstone of the proposed East Fremont Entertainment District.

He was the attorney for Clark County Recorder Fran Deane, who agreed to a settlement to pay $5,000 on a complaint by the state Ethics Commission that she misused her office.

In 2002, he was part of the defense team that was able to get the third criminal indictment dismissed against golf course developer Billy Walters, who was accused of money laundering.

Also in that year he represented Stratosphere Gaming Corp., which had filed suit against the city of Las Vegas over its denial of plans for a thrill ride opposed by neighbors.

Industry observer Bill Thompson, chairman of the Department of Public Administration at the University of Nevada, said Moran's ties to the gaming industry could raise questions.

"He brings a lot of connections to the gaming industry to his position," Thompson said. "The question is, can he put those questions aside? The answer may be 'yes."'

As chairman of the wildlife commission in 2002, Moran was highly critical of federal agencies' management of wild horses on the public lands in the Spring Mountains in Southern Nevada.

When Sheriff Jerry Keller retired, Moran was mentioned as a possible candidate for the job, but he decided not to enter the race for the elective position.

Guinn and Moran tied up at least once before. They were co-chairs of the Nevada Law Foundation Silver Ball in 2002, an event to help finance legal help for the poor and domestic violence victims in Southern Nevada.

Moran's term on the commission will run from July 26 through April 27, 2008. The commission will be meeting July 29 in Las Vegas.

He is a 1971 graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and gained his law degree from Loyola School of Law.