November 11, 2009 Palms Penalized for Poker Tourneys: The Palms has agreed to pay $100,000 to settle a Gaming Control Board complaint relating to the mismanagement of two poker tournaments in 2007, as reported in today's Las Vegas Review-Journal. The events were managed by third parties and merely hosted by the off-Strip casino, but the GCB found them, as the licensee, ulitimately responsible to oversee the running of these tournaments. In one instance, a charity event for the Jewish Community Center of Southern Nevada run by operators Michael Eakman & Associates, the charity did not receive its share of the proceeds until four months after the event. In the other, the United States Poker League held a tournament in October 2007 and failed to pay the winners their complete winnings, instead offering half cash and the other half in post-dated checks totaling $450,416, 22 of which bounced.
The Palms made good and paid the tournament prizes in full, but the GCB contended that the property had an obligation to ensure the prizes were paid at the time.