Reno’s Grand Sierra Resort will pay a $250,000 fine as part of a stipulated agreement approved Monday by the Nevada Gaming Commission.

Nevada Deputy AG Mike Somps said the settlement resolves the complaint against the resort that arose from an incident in December 2023, when an Gaming Enforcement Division agent conducting observations tried to access the theater. The agent attempted to go around the theater’s metal detector and was approached by security.

Somps said the agent displayed his badge and credentials, but wasn’t granted immediate access. Instead, he was told he would be required to relinquish his weapon before he could proceed into the theater. The agent spoke to two additional security officers and to a manager in front of the theater to gain access.

“There’s some disagreement about what transpired during discussions with those additional individuals, but as the Gaming Control Board alleges and Grand Sierra admits, those representatives denied the agent immediate access to the theater. The agent was informed he must relinquish his weapon.”

Somps said the conduct alleged violates state statutes and Commission regulations. In January 2021, private security hired by the resort was denied access and received a violation letter. The resort said corrective measures were put in place to prevent future violations, including counseling the security team that gaming agents are permitted to enter without being wanded or passing through a metal detector.

“What occurred on Dec. 19, 2023, is concerning to the Board, not only because of the prior violations, but also because of the apparent lack of training that occurred following those 2021 violations,” Somps said. “The director of security, who had been on the job for a year in December 2023, had not been made aware of those prior violations. If he had been, the subsequent violations may not have occurred.”

Somps said this type of violation is not common in the industry, because license holders respect the Board’s authority. The last violation was a decade ago.

“Licensees have a long history of complying and granting Board agents immediate access to all portions of the premises,” Somps said. “The Board views the Grand Sierra Resort’s violation seriously and maintains that licensees and their employees understand that any Board agent be given immediate access to any portion of the premises of the gaming establishment after they display their credentials. This disciplinary matter should serve as a reminder to all licensees of the Board’s authority and obligations in this space.”

In addition to the $250,000 fine, the Grand Sierra is required to implement and maintain a training program for its employees on the Board’s authority and how to interact with agents.

Commissioner Brian Krolicki said he understands how serious the issue is, but in the 2023 case, it was a six-minute delay to be allowed into the theater.

Somps said agents allow for some flexibility, but that in this case, the delay was “significant.” In addition, the six-minute delay is the contention of the Grand Sierra Resort, but the Board would present a different time frame that’s even longer.

“I understand that agents should be able to wander anywhere within a licensed facility but why would they be accessing the theater?” Krolicki asked Somps.

Somps said agents go into non-gaming areas, because those spaces impact the the reputation of the industry and Nevada. He cited violations in Nevada’s gaming establishment’s nightclubs that were off the gaming floor.