Fallon casino surrenders gaming license

The Cock “N Bull casino in Fallon has surrendered its gaming license.

Investigators filed a complaint in July asking the Gaming Commission to revoke the casino’s unrestricted gaming license citing several violations of regulations ranging from not filing a surveillance plan to not repairing broken slot machines. Those alleged violations date back to June 2011 and when agents said they began a series of visits to the establishment. The investigators charged that their requests for repairs, improvements and changes in the business were repeatedly ignored by owner Ellis Lee Garner and slot manager Eugena Bass.

A show cause order filed in October 2012 also failed to bring improvements.

“The Cock “N Bull’s response to the (order) was woefully inadequate,” the complaint states. “It consisted of one hand-written page and failed to sufficiently address any of the violations raised in the order.”

Agents said it took more than three months and numerous visits, calls and emails to get the operators to finish the required surveillance plan and that numerous slot machines on the casino floor were out of order for extended periods of time.

“Throughout the investigation, the board found Mr. Garner and Ms. Bass to be generally difficult to work with and uncooperative,” the complaint stated, asking for fines for each of the different violations.

That complaint has now been dropped after Garner voluntarily surrendered his gaming license.