Gaming Control Board recommends routine licensure, transfers and approvals; horse-racing penalty referred to commission

Carson City and Las Vegas — The Nevada Gaming Control Board met April 9 and moved quickly through a large nonrestricted agenda, recommending the Nevada Gaming Commission approve multiple key-executive licenses, registrations, transfers and financing items and recording votes on each. The board also considered a referral from the state steward on a horse-racing positive test and voted to recommend a revocation-plus-bar and a monetary sanction to the Commission.

The board approved individual suitability and key-executive licenses for a number of applicants, including Travis Lunn (MGM Resorts, nonrestricted item 1) and Sean Lanney (MGM Resorts, nonrestricted item 2), and recommended approval of additional officer/ executive licenses and registrations described below. The board handled routine approvals by roll call and unanimous recommendation to the Commission unless noted.

Why it matters: These routine licensing, registration and transfer approvals keep Nevada’s regulated gaming industry staffed and capitalized, but the board also used the meeting to act on a rare and serious racing-matters referral that it will send to the Commission for final action.

Votes at a glance (items read into the record on April 9, 2025): - Nonrestricted item 1 — Travis Lunn: Recommend approval to the Nevada Gaming Commission (motion passed; aye votes recorded). - Nonrestricted item 2 — Sean Lanney: Recommend approval to the Nevada Gaming Commission (motion passed; aye votes recorded). - Nonrestricted item 3 — Red Rock Resorts, amendment to order of registration; NP Red Rock LLC off‑track/satellite books (draft 12, rev. order of registration): Recommend approval to the Commission, with conditions on reporting, employee status clarifications and technology rollouts (motion passed; aye votes recorded). - Nonrestricted item 4 — Christopher (CJ) Foster (Station Casinos): Recommend approval (motion passed). - Nonrestricted item 5 — Peppermill/W. Paganetti estate plan approvals and successor trust filings: Recommend approval (motion passed). - Nonrestricted item 6 — Lucky Silver Gaming: Approvals to allow disposition of membership interest and related warrants for the estate of Bruce Difik (motion passed). - Nonrestricted item 7 — Charles Palenik (Affinity Interactive): Recommend approval (motion passed). - Nonrestricted item 8 — Susan Dougherty Thompson (JJVG Holdings LLC): Recommend approval (motion passed). - Nonrestricted item 9 — Mesquite Gaming / pledge of membership interests in associated LLCs (refinance): Recommend approval (motion passed). - Nonrestricted item 10 — Mesquite TopCo / Ascendant investor waiver and exercise of option (institutional investor waiver request): Recommend approval (motion passed). - Nonrestricted item 11 — Steven Kopcho (Galaxy Gaming, officer license): Recommend approval (motion passed). - Nonrestricted item 12 — Victoria Martinez (key employee at Miss Spa Club/long‑shot operations): Recommend approval (motion passed). - Nonrestricted item 13 — Rick Goldstein (Suncoast / Coast Hotels & Casinos, key employee): Recommend approval (motion passed). - Nonrestricted item 14 — Holly Jurgens (Short Line Gaming, operations manager / key employee): Recommend approval (motion passed). - Nonrestricted item 15 — Evoke plc (formerly 888 Holdings) — renewal of continuous/delayed public offering (shelf) and requested NGC exemption under reg 16.45: Board recommended approval to the Commission (motion passed). - Nonrestricted item 16 — Request to withdraw application of Matthew Galante (Nevada Restaurant Services, key employee): The Board denied the request to withdraw; subsequently the board voted to recommend denial of Galante’s license application to the Commission after hearing investigative materials and testimony.

Horse‑racing referral (final agenda matter): The State Steward found cocaine metabolites in the post‑race urine of a first‑place horse trained by Alvaro Torres, fined Torres $1,000 and suspended his Nevada racing license 180 days (the maximum steward can impose). The steward referred the matter to the Board and Commission for additional penalties. The board voted to recommend that the Commission revoke Torres’ Nevada racing license, impose an additional fine (bringing the total sanction to $5,000), and bar Torres from racing at any Nevada track for five years; the board transmitted that recommendation to the Commission for final action.

Ending: The board recessed and will continue restricted matters and remaining agenda items at the Commission hearing and at its next scheduled session.