Global Gaming Business has revealed that National Center for Responsible Gaming President Phil Satre was the hitherto-undisclosed candidate that Elaine Wynn was proposing for the 
Wynn Resorts board chairmanship. Said board rejected Satre — a short-sighted move that reeks of insecurity. Satre proved himself a skilled helmsman during his tenure as CEO of Harrah’s Entertainment — far better than his successor. Were board members afraid that Satre would turn Wynn Resorts into an up-market Harrah’s? Did they fear a new broom sweeping clean the crony-ish Wynn corporate culture? Or were they worried that someone with so much gaming experience would overshadow CEO Matt Maddox? Elaine Wynn believes in him so strongly she’s willing to sign a two-year hands-off pledge toward future board matters, which says a lot.
Ms. Wynn also seeks an “independent compensation consultant and truly independent legal counsel” to look into ex-Corporate Counsel Kim Sinatra‘s golden parachute and her collusion in covering up Steve Wynn‘s sexual predations. Alluding to Massachusetts, Nevada and Macao investigations into Steve Wynn‘s priapic pursuits (and the cover-up of a paternity settlement), Jefferies Group Managing Director David Katz 
says “The future direction of the company is far from certain. The problem is not only that the board is not united, but getting their investigations resolved requires a united board.” The election of Satre would send an unmistakable signal that it’s a new era at Wynn. It would also put an industry giant in place over pygmies like apologist Maddox, hardly the man to steer Wynn Resorts into the 2020s. At least one good sign is apparent in the rumored choice of veteran gaming attorney Ellen Whittemore to replace Sinatra. That, plus the appointment of three women to the Wynn board gives one hope for a better future.
* Wearing his other hat as chairman of International Game Technology, Satre had reason to take a victory lap when IGT was chosen by FanDuel to provide the bells and whistles for its Meadowlands Racetrack sports book. Paddy Power Betfair analytics will be flowed through an IGT platform. “FanDuel is 
essentially combining IGT’s B2B sports betting platform and customizable interface with Paddy Power Betfair’s pricing/trading/risk management capabilities to create the FanDuel Sportsbook product,” wrote Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli. “The final product allows FanDuel to facilitate sports betting over the counter and will ultimately include self-service retail kiosks, as well as online/mobile wagering, all using IGT’s technology.” Meadowlands started taking action last weekend, bringing the number of sports books in New Jersey to four, if memory serves.
* How low can MGM Resorts International go when the issue is the Mandalay Bay Massacre is the topic? It’s suing victims of the shooting, saying that the government-approved status of its security company holds it harmless from litigation. MGM 
contends that Contemporary Services Corp. is covered by a 2002 federal law that gives protection to companies that employee services that “help prevent and respond to mass violence.” Well, we’ve seen how well Contemporary Services performed on the violence-prevention and mass-violence fronts. If the argument stands up in court, the law in question will serve as a giant fuck-you not only to Route 91 Harvest victims but anyone harmed on a property employing a slack security force.
Plaintiffs’ attorney Robert Eglet brushed off the complaint as hinging on an “obscure” argument, since the FBI has not classified the massacre as terrorism, although we’ve noted before that key legal decisions often hinge upon arcane matters. (The Supreme Court‘s scotching of the Bradley Act taught us all a lesson on “comandeering.”) As for MGM, spokeswoman Debra DeShong said, “The Federal Court is an appropriate venue for these cases and provides those affected with the opportunity for a timely resolution. Years of drawn out litigation and hearings are not in the best interest of victims, the community and those still healing.” You’d think the victims would know what is in their best interests, but not according to Big Brother MGM.
A steamed Eglet told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that MGM’s filing was a “blatant display of judge shopping [which] quite frankly verges on unethical. I’ve never seen a more outrageous thing, where they sue the victims in an effort to find a judge they like. It’s just really sad that they would stoop to this level.” With the increasingly pro-corporate tilt of the federal courts under the Trump administration Eglet is right to be concerned.
* If Hard Rock International gets a Japan casino, expect it to have a familiar look. As is the case in Hollywood, Florida, it will be graced by a guitar-shaped hotel.
