Who thought the day would come that Elaine Wynn was the largest single shareholder in Wynn Resorts? She’s flexing her newfound muscles by demanding an all-but-clean sweep of the board of directors (we sympathize). Lest this be seen as a power grab, she’s stated that she 
herself does not want a seat on the board, although she will be putting forward her own slate of candidates. However, she wants wholesale change “with an interest in fully restoring [Wynn Resorts’] reputation and in transforming it into a corporate governance leader.” You can be certain she’ll be on hand at the upcoming shareholders’ meeting, which she sees as a forum for cleaning house. “I believe that the company’s governance structure needs to be reformed and that the board of directors needs to be reconstituted,” she wrote in a letter to the company. Although the window for nominating board members has closed, she wants it reopened — or maybe she’ll throw a rock through it at the shareholders’ meeting. She also wants all current 
business, including a potential sale of Wynn Boston Harbor — put on hold until a new board can be seated.
Mrs. Wynn is newly free of encumbrances with Wynn Resorts, Steve Wynn and corporate consigliere Kim Sinatra, having settled litigation with all three, ending a six-year lawsuit. Mr. Wynn is $25 million the poorer in returning from making the legal troubles go away while neither Wynn Resorts nor Sinatra owes a penny. For his part, Mr. Wynn expressed his “gratification that he was able to put all of the personal unpleasantness of the last few years between he and Ms Wynn behind him.” He sure paid a high price to be gratified.
* Hard Rock Atlantic City has yet to open but it’s already making a splash. The casino announced a June 28 opening date and a slew of 300 — count ’em — musical acts. “It’s not about gaming, it’s about 
entertainment,” said Hard Rock International CEO James Allen in a live stream from Times Square. Among the acts disclosed for the new hotel-casino are Blake Shelton, Florida Georgia Line, Pat Benatar, Neil Geraldo, Million Dollar Quartet, Amy Schumer, Stone Temple Pilots, Bush, Rascal Flatts, Third Eye Blind and Steely Dan. The 2,100-slot, 120-table casino will also have a complete makeover from its Donald Trump era, with every hotel room “gutted” and redone. (If Hard Rock can’t make it in Atlantic City, nobody can.) As previously announced, Hard Rock will be offering midweek entertainment in its newly enlarged concert hall, not just on weekends. I, for one, am not betting against Hard Rock.
* It appears increasingly unlikely that Arkansas voters will be weighing on casino legalization in this year’s election. Arkansas Wins 2018, whose backers include troubled golf pro John Daly, has been drop-kicked. The 
admirably persistent Driving Arkansas Forward is going to the state Supreme Court after its ballot language was nixed for the fourth time by Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, who finds it too ambiguous, despite numerous rewrites. As its name implies, Driving Arkansas Forward would trade off casino legalization for increased highway funding. It would legalize four casinos, two near racetracks and one each in Jefferson County and Pope County. As long as Rutledge disapproves of the ballot question, Driving Arkansas Forward is stuck in neutral, unable to start gathering signatures. “This is not hostile toward the Attorney General. Petitioning the Supreme Court is simply the next step for us to take,” lobbyist Don Tilton said of the group’s new tack.
Driving Arkansas Forward attorney Alex Gray displayed less restraint, calling Rutledge’s opinion (which hinted at still further ambiguities) a “strained reading” and “a clear abuse of her duties.” Added state Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson (R), “I don’t think it’s policy driven. I do believe she 
saw the Supreme Court reject three amendments last cycle and she’s trying to adopt the Supreme Court’s standards. There’s some really well-done amendments that have been rejected.” For her part, Rutledge said, “In recent years, the Arkansas Supreme Court has set a very high standard for certifying a ballot proposal. As Attorney General, I have a responsibility to follow those standards to ensure that voters fully understand the issue presented on the ballot and what exactly a ‘for’ or ‘against’ vote means.” As we’ve seen in other states, the devil is in the details where such ballot questions are concerned and Arkansas won’t be the end of it.
(“Elaine” graphic courtesy of Scott Roeben.)
