NGC Commissioner Resigns Over Federal Investigation

admin, February 15, 2016 12:59 pm

On Friday, Michonne Ascuaga resigned from her position on the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) as a result of a FinCEN investigation into the family casino she helped to run from 1997 to 2013. According to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), during her time as CEO of the Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks, Nevada, the operation failed to adhere to strict anti-money laundering rules that require Currency Transaction Reports (CTR) to be produced for each customer who spends more than $10,000 over a 24-hour period.
Apparently, the Nugget Casino Resort did not record such transactions properly, and now faces possible hefty fines for contravening state and federal laws. The casino’s new owner, Wolfhound Holdings, also faces substantial fines despite the fact it claims to only have learned of the FinCEN investigation on the day prior to purchasing the property. This claim has been disputed by Ascuaga, however, who said that Wolfhound Holdings was told all the information promptly after the Department of Treasury announced its investigation back in November 2013.
“The matter arose from an audit-type examination conducted by the IRS at the casino in 2010. This was all disclosed immediately to the buyer,” explained Ascuaga.
Despite the confusion, Ascuaga said she was not the focus of the investigation, which is the reason she did not inform the Nevada Governor of the situation prior to her appointment to the NGC last April. Nevertheless, Ascuaga still felt compelled to resign her position ahead of her four-year tenure drawing to a close, stating that it was “a distinct honor” to have served on the NGC. Speaking on the issue of her resignation, Governor Brian Sandoval commented:
“Michonne Ascuaga has served the Nevada Gaming Commission well. I admire her and wish to recognize her family’s long history as leaders in the gaming industry. I appreciate that she has put the credibility and reputation of the Gaming Commission first. Michonne is a consummate professional and will continue to be a leader in our community.”

Poker News
Americas Cardroom Still Suffering From DDoS Attacks
01 May 2018
Last Tuesday, US-facing poker site Americas Cardroom (ACR) was targeted by a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack which crippled the site’s traffic, ultimately leading to a cancellation of the tournaments it was running at the time. After working to resolve the issue, another cyber attack was then launched against ACR on Sunday, meaning that
Nevada Casinos Up 7.7% to $1.02bn in February
03 Apr 2018
Having generated revenues of $1.01 billion in January, Nevada casinos have continued their winning streak into February with $1.02 billion earned from gamblers, representing a 7.7% increase versus the same month last year. The state subsequently collected $44.2 million in tax revenues in February, down by 15% year-on-year, according to the latest results released by
Spanish Chess Master Pulls Out of Tournament Over Unpaid Poker Taxes
29 Mar 2018
Last week, Francisco Vallejo Pons, a Spanish chess Grandmaster, pulled out of the European Individual Championship in Batumi, Georgia having made it through to the competition’s fifth round. Vallejo had previously won the event in 2013, and was this year’s fourth placed seed, with the tournament acting as an important qualifier for the 2019 Chess
Vietnam Busts Huge Gambling Ring As Part of Corruption Clampdown
21 Mar 2018
Earlier this week, Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security (MoPS), headed by General Tran Dai Quang (photo), decided to clarify details about its crackdown on illegal online gambling and money laundering in the country. The move was apparently made because of what was described as “inaccurate reports” circulating about its operation in the northern province of