Nevada exclusion lists help keep regulators busy

Friday, Oct. 22, 2004 | 10:56 a.m.

Nevada gaming regulators have revised their list of excluded persons, the so-called "black book" of names of people who aren't welcome in the state's casinos.

But unlike most revisions, the number of people on the list shrank, as investigators scratched the names of four people who regulators learned have died since the last black book revision in March.

"Sometimes we're notified by law enforcement agencies, sometimes we see things in the paper," said Keith Copher, the state Gaming Control Board's chief enforcement officer. "We'll follow up on leads to make sure a report is accurate and then we turn it over to the (Nevada Gaming) Commission to approve it."

Once Control Board agents learn of a death of someone in the black book, they are required to get a copy of the death certificate before taking the information to regulators for consideration.

One name was struck from the list in March, but prior to that, it had been three or four years since a name had been removed, Copher said.

Copher said he's reasonably sure the list is now up to date and he knew off the top of his head that the total number of names listed in the black book now stands at 39.

Trimmed from the list were the names of Michael Edward Bailey, Danny Curtis, James Edgar Henley and Bruce Floyd Sampson, all of whom were learned to have died since the last black book update was published by regulators March 19.

Meanwhile, the board added two names of gamblers approved to the list this year, Dennis Sean McAndrew, who was formerly known as Dennis Andrew Nikrasch, and Eugene A. Bulgarino.

McAndrew and Bulgarino were approved to the list by commissioners Aug. 27. Neither of the black book candidates appeared before commissioners to challenge their inclusion.

According to state gaming regulations, the commission may exclude people from casinos if it's "in the best interests of the state of Nevada or of licensed gaming."

The state uses law enforcement records from other states to help make the determination.

The state's black book regulation even has a list of sources for information on criminal investigations. Among them are the California Crime Commission, the Chicago Crime Commission, the New York Waterfront Commission, the Pennsylvania Crime Commission Report, the State of Colorado Organized Crime Strike Force and the President's Commission on Organized Crime.

In 2001, regulators added the NCAA as a source for material on persons suspected of attempting to influence the result of sporting events.

The black book includes the full name and aliases used by the excluded person, a description of the person's physical appearance, the person's date of birth, the date the person was placed on the list and a dated photograph.

People nominated for inclusion on the list by the Gaming Control Board are notified and given an opportunity to respond before gaming commissioners act on the recommendation. In the case of McAndrew and Bulgarino, no one came forward on their behalf before commissioners voted unanimously to put them in the book.

Later in that commission meeting, board members were asked by persons attending the meeting during a public comment period about names of people on the list who were believed to have died. The inquiry spurred a check of names that led to the trimming of the list.

Casinos are required to keep people listed in the black book out of their properties, but there's another list they must monitor.

The Gaming Commission in September issued an updated listing of denials, revocations and findings of unsuitability including people placed between January 1980 and September.

There are 122 names on that list.

"It's a different list," Copher said. "The names on that list can go into casinos, but they can't do business as vendors or they can't be hired. Usually, applicants appear before the board for licensing, but if they are denied, have their license revoked or are found to be unsuitable, they can't operate in the state."

The most recent addition to that list was Barry Eli Tassler of High End Systems Inc., who was denied for licensing by the commission Sept. 24.

Copher said industry licensees are cooperative in monitoring the names on that list because they don't want to put their own licenses at risk by conducting business with someone rejected for licensing or found to be unsuitable.