Steve Ranson / LVN photo
Nevada Gaming Control investigators have filed a complaint seeking revocation of the gaming license held by Cock ‘N’ Bull in Fallon.
The casino has an unrestricted gaming license but has been under investigation by agents who have reported serial violations of regulations ranging from not filing a surveillance plan to not repairing broken slot machines. The alleged violations date back to June 2011.
Agents say in the 23-page complaint they had to make numerous calls and visits to the casino and that their requests for changes, repairs and improvements were repeatedly ignored, deflected or delayed by owner Ellis Lee Garner and slots manager Eugena Bass.
The situation finally resulted in an Order to Show Cause issued in October 2012 giving the operation 20 days to file a written response to agent complaints.
“The Cock ‘N’ Bull’s response to the (order) was woefully inadequate,” the complaint sates. “It consisted of one, hand-written page, and failed to sufficiently address any of the violations raised in the (order).”
Specifically, the complaint charges that Cock ‘N’ Bull shut down all its slots in a few days after receiving the order but failed to surrender its gaming license after a month as required by law.
It says multiple violations of gaming regulations were found between July 2011 and March 2012.
“Throughout the investigation, the board found Mr. Garner and Ms. Bass to be generally difficult to work with and uncooperative,” the complaint states. It also charges their responses to issues of noncompliance were “slow and inadequate requiring the board to expend an extraordinary amount of time and resources to ensure compliance.”
Getting them to submit a written surveillance plan, it says, took repeated visits, phone calls and emails over a period of more than three months to finish the required surveillance plan.
There were also issues with numerous slot machines on the casino floor being out of order for extended periods of time. While agents were told the owner couldn’t get a slot repair technician in Fallon, they also reported that a technician who called seeking work was told during that same period there was no job available.
Agents also reported a number of other inspection violations and other problems with the slot machines before gaming was shut down.
All those problems, agents argue, demonstrate a “general disregard and lack of concern” Garner and Bass have for Nevada gaming laws and regulations.
The control board complaint asks they be fined for each of numerous violations and that Cock ‘N’ Bull’s gaming license be revoked.