By james art 
The Nevada Gambling Commission has fined Reno’s Grand Sierra Resort $250,000 after its security team prevented a Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) agent from accessing a movie theater on the property in December 2023.. MEI-GSR Holdings LLC, the company operating under the Grand Sierra Resort brand, accepted the fine by agreeing to a settlement without contesting the allegations laid out in an October complaint to the NGCB.
According to the complaint, Security officers at the Grand Sierra Resort initially denied entry to a judge who was conducting a standard property inspection on Dec. 19. The agent reportedly faced a delay of about six minutes before gaining access to the theater and opted to leave after discussions with security personnel, citing the initial obstruction.
In January 2021, GSR received a similar violation after an inspection revealed that the resort had hired private security guards who were not properly licensed by the Private Investigator Licensing Board. Following this earlier incident, the NGCB issued a formal warning to the resort in February 2021.
At Monday’s committee meeting, Senior Deputy Attorney General Michael Somps noted that Board agents have full authority to inspect all areas within a licensed propertyincluding non-gaming sections because of their potential impact on Nevada’s regulatory goals.
Somps explained that the agent’s discretion on access to each area, from playgrounds to nightclubs, ensures compliance with Nevada’s reputational standards. “On-board agents have access to all parts of the gaming establishment’s premises,” explained Somps, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal.
“The definition of premises is essentially curb to curb.” He mentioned past incidents where on-board agents entered nightclubs at resorts to investigate suspected activitiessuch as the use of drugs that may harm the interests of the state.
Grand Sierra Resort is owned by the same group that runs the Sahara in Las Vegas.