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State pulls licenses of two casino managers
Message was posted: 08:01 Mar 7th, 2007

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Casino news source: Free New Mexican - http://www.freenewmexican.com 8:10 am: State pulls licenses of two casino managers By ASSOCIATED PRESS March 7, 2007 ALBUQUERQUE (AP) - The licenses of two Downs at Albuquerque casino managers have been pulled by state gambling regulators over allegations that they tried to cover up an incident in which a sleeping surveillance worker failed to videotape part of a nightly drop. During a special meeting Tuesday, the state Gaming Control Board temporarily suspended the licenses of casino manager Craig Smith and assistant manager Doug Thompson, the Albuquerque Journal reported Wednesday in a copyright story. According to the board, the surveillance worker fell asleep and didn't record a portion of the nightly drop _ when cash is removed from the slot machines and put into the casino's vault to be counted. Failing to record the entire drop violates board regulations. The managers are accused of leaving a surveillance tape documenting the incident in circulation, knowing that the tape would eventually be recorded over. Billy Blackburn, a former board member and an Albuquerque lawyer representing the managers, said the board pulled the licenses before he had a chance to respond. "It's sort of like finding you guilty and sending you to prison _ and then telling you you'll have a trial in the next few months," he said. Thompson and Smith will not be able to work at the Downs casino until the matter is resolved. An independent hearing officer will hear the case within 30 days and make recommendations to the board. Those could range from license revocation to no sanctions at all. Blackburn said he doesn't see why the board issued emergency orders in the case, which the agency has known about for seven months. Board deputy executive director Greg Saunders said the investigation had been ongoing. "It took a long time to get to the point that we could determine all the facts," he said. Saunders noted that the case isn't a criminal matter and that the temporary suspension of Smith and Thompson's licenses does not affect the casino's licensing. The board claims that Thompson had ordered a surveillance supervisor to prepare a disciplinary write-up for the sleeping worker in July. But after talking with Smith and the supervisor, Thompson told the supervisor to delete the write-up. Thompson and Smith left the tape in circulation, but the supervisor turned the footage over to the board in August.