It would have been in the late 1960's while Howard Hughes lived in Vegas and had recently bought the Sands. The new ownership established tight control of the cash flow which prevented Sinatra from just being given a handful of black chips to gamble. (Not sure it's gambling if the chips are free.) Carl Cohen called Bob Maheu (in charge of Hughes' Vegas properties) after the incident and was told he acted correctly. In Maheu's words his main concern was that Carl was OK. As an aside...Sinatra was forced to sell his ownership in the Sands because he was accused of associating with a known mobster (Sam Giancanna) at his Cal-Neva resort. He was a rascal.