Gaming board recommends restricted licenses for Chef's Roma Kitchen, Pine Ridge Tavern and Stellar's Lounge

The Nevada Gaming Control Board on Dec. 4 recommended approval of multiple restricted gaming licenses, including Community Vegas LLC doing business as Chef's Roma Kitchen and two BDS Town Square Reno locations, Pine Ridge Tavern and Stellar's Lounge.

The board's enforcement staff reported no investigations concerns on the restricted consent agenda and read the applications into the record. After applicants and their counsel answered questions from board members about past disclosures and operations, the board moved and approved the recommendations by recorded vote.

Chef's Roma Kitchen: attorney David Brown introduced operating partners and owner Ricardo Romo, who told the board he spent decades in hospitality and acknowledged past criminal convictions, saying he "accept[s] full responsibility" for past actions and describing the pardon and sealing process that restored his rights. Romo told the board the restaurant has been open for three years and that the company has a slot‑routing operating agreement with Golden Gaming to operate machines. Board members pressed him on omitted items from his application and on his rehabilitation; several members said Romo's testimony and the pardon weighed in his favor. The board recommended approval of the application as read into the record.

BDS Town Square Reno (Pine Ridge Tavern & Stellar's Lounge): attorney Greg Givignani and applicant Bruce Vermillion described two adjacent locations in the Somerset master plan. Vermillion told the board he and partners have invested more than $750,000 in remodeling; Pine Ridge opened for restaurant business in July and Stellar's Lounge is expected to open in mid‑January. The applicants said they plan about 15 gaming machines per location and will procure machines through NGP Slots; they estimated a staff of roughly 32, largely part time. The board asked about day‑to‑day management and slot‑route arrangements and received assurances that experienced partners and local service contracts will support operations.

Conditions and votes: motions recommending approval included operational conditions. For several restricted consent items the board required surveillance systems (and/or mirrors) to be inspected and approved by the enforcement division within 60 days of license issuance and maintained at approved standards; in some cases signage and slot counts were made conditions. For restricted item #2 the board required that David Michael Nolan demonstrate successful completion of a regulatory compliance seminar for restricted licensees acceptable to the board chair within 90 days of the state gaming license (administratively extendable). Each motion passed on recorded aye votes.

What happens next: the board's votes were recommendations and will be processed under the agency's licensing workflow. The board's approvals include specific operational and training conditions meant to address consumer protection and regulatory compliance.

Who spoke: attorney David Brown and applicant Ricardo Romo spoke for Chef's Roma Kitchen; Greg Givignani and Bruce Vermillion spoke for Pine Ridge Tavern and Stellar's Lounge; agency staff, the enforcement division and multiple board members questioned applicants and recorded the motions and votes.

The board moved on to other agenda items after the votes.