Steve Wynn sued by Casino Dealers over Tips

Wynn Las Vegas owner Steve Wynn is being sued by a group of his own dealers, who are mad that they must split tips with casino employees who don’t normally receive tips.

As reported by TMZ, the lawsuit complains that Wynn dealers are forced to pool their tips together, then share with other employees. The suit further accuses the casino of engaging in this practice to avoid paying minimum wage.

The dealers seek damages, interest and attorney fees from Steve Wynn personally as well as his casino.

This is just the latest legal headache for Wynn, who has filed a libel suit against an unidentified casino opponent in Boston. And Wynn told the Boston Globe that his company has been treated badly ever since beginning plans to build a casino in Everett (Boston area).

“No individual or company who presents themselves honestly in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, by any measure of fair play, should be subjected to the defamatory political abuse that we have experienced, and it is our intention to finally deal with it,” stated Wynn.

The lawsuit specifically claims that unknown defendants hurt his company by giving subpoenas to news outlets stemming from a City of Boston lawsuit against the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. Furthermore, Wynn’s suit claims the city’s subpoenas did not seek information, but rather to spread falsehoods found in the document to damage his company, which has a Massachusetts license to build a $1.7 million casino resort in Everett.

The falsehoods include allegations that Wynn hired two ex-state troopers, who were given info on a felon who owned real estate near the Everett building site. Another allegation claims that Wynn’s reps discussed the felon’s property interest in a 2013 meeting with the city.

“Although our commitment to Massachusetts is absolute and irrevocable, our tolerance for mean-spirited, libelous statements has exceeded any reasonable limit,” said Wynn. “Someone knowingly disseminated sham subpoenas containing falsehoods — outright lies — designed to interfere with our license granted by the Gaming Commission and defame our reputation. We intend to identify the malicious individuals who did this and call them to .”

The suit does not specifically name Mayor Martin J. Walsh as spreading the falsehoods. However, a previous letter by Wynn indicates that Walsh is defaming his casino.

While it may be some time before we find out if Walsh is one of the unnamed defendants in the lawsuit, it wouldn’t be surprising given he and Wynn’s ongoing battle. Walsh filed two lawsuits to block the Everett casino project, claiming that it would hurt nearby Charlestown residents. The mayor wants Boston to have more say in the matter, but the case’s judge and U.S. Attorney’s office upheld Wynn’s right to build a casino in Everett.