For Immediate Release:
September 14, 2015
MEDIA CONTACT:
Bethany Khan: bkhan@culinaryunion226.org ▪ (702) 387-7088
Culinary Union Launches Radio Ad Campaign
Calling for Clean Gaming in Nevada
Las Vegas, NV – In a 30-day radio ad campaign launched today and a letter to Governor Brian Sandoval, the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 is calling on Nevada gaming regulators to enforce the highest ethical standards for the state’s most important industry.
The Culinary Union is concerned that Deutsche Bank has not gone through the state’s non-restricted licensing process or a suitability review for its 25 percent ownership stake, through a subsidiary, in Station Casinos.
The union raised these concerns earlier this summer after another subsidiary of the foreign bank pleaded guilty to criminal wire fraud and the bank paid record fines in the LIBOR scandal of $2.519 billion to US and British regulatory authorities for its role in rigging global benchmark interest rates. In addition to the bank’s admitted misconduct there are ongoing internal investigations and scrutiny by U.S. and foreign regulators and prosecutors of the bank’s activities, including possible money laundering through the bank by Russian clients, rigging of foreign exchange rates and violation of US sanction laws.
In a letter to Governor Sandoval, the Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer Geoconda Arguello-Kline wrote: “There should not be a two-tiered system of justice in Nevada; one in which rich and powerful corporations get a pass from gaming regulators, while low-level offenders undergo grueling and rigorous review and get ousted from the industry.”
“We have sent letters to the Gaming Commission and Control Board outlining our concerns,” said Culinary Union Research Director Maya Holmes. “We have received no official response. The public has a right to know whether the parent company of a felon that has been accused of lying to regulators, dragging its feet during investigations and is the subject of at least three unresolved criminal investigations is suitable to own 19 Nevada casinos.”
Radio Ad:
Long before he became a Federal judge, Attorney General and now our Governor, Brian Sandoval served as Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission.
He enforced the highest ethical standards for the gaming industry.
Today, those Sandoval standards are threatened.
A foreign bank’s subsidiary holds a 25% stake in Station Casinos. That bank is facing a $625 million fine for alleged criminal wire fraud and price-fixing, and a total of $2.5 billion in penalties to be paid to the United States and British authorities.
As Gaming Commission Chair, Governor Sandoval would never have let them keep a stake in Station Casinos.
And today's Gaming Commission shouldn't either.
The Sandoval standard for honest gaming can only be upheld by a thorough Gaming Control Board review of this illegal activity by these Station Casinos financial partners.
Nevada needs clean gaming. Our jobs depend on clean gaming.
Culinary Union letter to Governor Sandoval:
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Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165, Nevada affiliates of UNITE HERE, represent over 55,000 workers in Las Vegas and Reno, including at most of casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas. UNITE HERE represents 270,000 workers in gaming, hotel, and food service industries in North America.
www.CulinaryUnion226.org / @Culinary226