Gaming Commission disciplines three businesses, adds a name to Black Book

By Cy Ryan

Monday, Sept. 30, 2013 | 4:16 p.m.

The Nevada Gaming Commission disciplined three Clark County businesses with slot machines and placed a slot cheater in the Black Book last week.

In one disciplinary action, the commission suspended Tarra Lorraine Green Jackson's license that allowed her to operate 18 slot machines at her Ultra New Town Tavern in Las Vegas until she corrects a number of violations.

The complaint against Jackson said her casino surveillance system was below standard, monthly financial statements were not submitted to the board, and more than $13,000 in tokens and chips were placed in a vault and were not counted until November 2012.

Commission Vice Chairman Randolph Townsend said Jackson also failed to respond to state investigators regarding the violations in a timely manner. In a stipulation, Jackson agreed to fix the problems. If she does not complete the required action in six months, her license will be surrendered.

The commission also voted 3-2 to accept a settlement with Verlie May Doing, the owner of the Searchlight Nugget Casino, accused of failing to keep adequate slot machine counts and maintain security on money collected.

Commissioner John Moran said Doing had past violations and suggested a heavier fine. Commissioner Joseph Brown agreed. But the other three commissioners agreed to the recommended stipulation, which requires Doing to pay $12,000 and contract with a licensed slot machine route operator to run the slots.

Doing’s grandson Reggie said a lot of changes have been made and the business is for sale.

“We’re not having the best of times,” he said.

The commission levied a $2,000 fine on Burdett Jones, owner of the 25 Bar & Grill in Las Vegas. A complaint said Jones did not to report to the state a failed sale of the property. He sold the business to Million Dollar Entertainment, which continued to operate the slot machines without a license. Jones then took over the business again when the deal fell through.

The state Gaming Control Board also intends to file a complaint against the slot route operator who continued running the slots without approval.

Also on Thursday, Larry Green was added to the list of persons excluded from casinos for his convictions of slot cheating in Missouri and Nevada. Green did not appear at the meeting. His latest conviction in Nevada was in 2012; he was placed on five years of probation with the condition he not enter any casinos without permission from his probation officer.

Green has been placed on the excluded list in Missouri, and his crime partner, Roderick Dee, was placed in the so-called Black Book earlier this year.