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Ainsworth CEO’s Nevada application referred back to staff after board flags disclosure and conduct concerns
Summary
Harold Neumann, CEO of Ainsworth, faced extensive questioning about late disclosures, reluctance to turn over his phone during an investigation, and text messages investigators deemed inappropriate; the board voted to refer his application back to staff and request the applicant withdraw rather than issue a denial.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board referred Harold Neumann’s application for suitability back to staff on Oct. 8 after an extended hearing in which agents and board members raised multiple concerns about transparency and cooperation. The board asked staff to seek an application withdrawal rather than immediately deny the license.
Neumann, the CEO of Ainsworth Game Technology, acknowledged lapses in updating his original 2021 application, said he initially hesitated to surrender his phone because of privacy concerns stemming from an earlier incident, and apologized for text messages the investigators found inappropriate. “I take full responsibility for that and apologize for the lack of candor,” Neumann told the board.
Board members pressed Neumann on why several residential, banking and relationship details were not disclosed on a timely basis and why he had not turned over requested material sooner. Several members said they were troubled by what they described as evasive answers and at times raised voices during the interviews. Judge Assad warned that a gaming license is a privilege, not a right, and said a pattern of opaque answers and difficult interviews raised doubts about fitness for a privileged license.
After deliberation, members concluded they were not prepared to recommend suitability. Rather than vote to deny the application on the spot, the board voted to return the file to enforcement staff and request that Neumann be invited to withdraw his application, preserving process options and avoiding an immediate listing on Nevada’s unsuitable/unlicensed list.
What’s next: Staff will receive the referral and may ask the applicant to withdraw; if the applicant refuses, the file will return to the board with options including a formal denial and placement on the unsuitable list under state statute.
