'The way that the ten firms stiffed the MGC was the absolute ultimate statement of arrogance and ignorance.'
Let me tell you the way it was, kids.
When I was a casino executive on the Las Vegas Strip, every now and then, I would get a call from an agent of the Nevada Gaming Control Board. He would want to have coffee or lunch, and it would be at the Peppermill on the Strip. It meant that we would be meeting that day, and I canceled whatever I had planned.
I went alone, for that was the unspoken rule, and when I arrived, there would always be two agents already there. Without fail, it had to do with an issue. The lead of the tandem would explain the issue, and the other person was just there to listen. About 90% of the time, the issue was resolved at the meeting. About 7% of the time, I would tell the agent I would get back to them within 24 hours, for I needed to talk to one of our lawyers, the company president or chairperson, or some such thing.
Every now and then, we would disagree, and I would explain my position. We would finish the coffee or lunch, shake hands, and go our own ways. Either I would hear nothing more about the issue, or it would be elevated to a formal complaint.
The one common element in all of this was that it was done with a high level of respect.
What it’s supposed to look like
When I became a member of the California Gambling Control Commission, I made several trips to Nevada with other members of the California Commission to watch a Nevada Gaming Control Board meeting with Mark Lipparelli and later A.G. Burnett as chair. I wanted my fellow California commissioners to see the incredibly respectful way that the Nevada meetings were held. There were certainly disagreements and contentious moments, but they were held with a high level of respect.
I was proud to be a part of all of that, and I considered it an incredibly important part of the industry.
The point is that I grew up for 40-plus years in an industry with a culture of exhibiting the utmost respect for regulators, and importantly, they generally deserved it. It was the way it was done.
Richard Schuetz
https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-schuetz-37336126/
Https://Www.Casinoreports.Com/Schuetz-Operators-Massachusetts-Lack-Respect/