Steve Wynn Pays $10 Million Fine Ending Ties With Las Vegas

Steve Wynn. The name has been synonymous to gaming in Las Vegas for decades. But that won't be the case much longer.

Former Wynn Resorts Ltd. Chairman and CEO Steve Wynn signed a settlement agreement with the Nevada Gaming Control Board and will pay a $10 million fine that will bring an end to a sexual harassment complaint the board filed against him in 2019. The Nevada Gaming Commission will consider the settlement at its July 27 meeting in Carson City.

The Las Vegas Review Journal reports that representatives of Las Vegas-based Wynn Resorts had no comment on the settlement. If approved by the commission, the $10 million fine would be the largest ever assessed against an individual licensee.

Under the terms of the settlement, Steve Wynn will not admit to or deny wrongdoing and will waive a hearing on the matter and “shall remain entirely removed from any direct or indirect affiliation, financing, consultation, promotional advertising in any form of media or licensing agreement in the Nevada gaming industry."

Several publications, including The Wall Street Journal, reported complaints from female employees about sexual harassment in early 2018. Wynn repeatedly denied  harassing anyone. In the weeks following the allegations, Wynn resigned his positions with the company, and resigned from his position of finance chair for the Republican National Committee.

In early 2019, the Nevada Gaming Commission fined Wynn Resorts $20 million for failing to respond to the harassment complaints from several women. A few months later, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission fined the company $35 million. 

The complaint was five-counts, 23-pages against Wynn. The investigation found that there were harassment complaints that started as early as 2005 when Steve Wynn was first licensed as an executive with Wynn Resorts.

During this time, several women in employment positions that were subordinate to Steve Wynn reported that he "subjected them to unwanted sexual advances,” the complaint said.

Tipping has gotten out of control - even in Las Vegas, which is considered a tipping city.

If you feel like you’re being asked to tip just about everywhere you go these days, you are not alone. In addition to those traditional establishments and businesses — restaurants, barber shops, Uber and Lyft — customers are being prompted to tip everywhere, from convenience store counters to self-checkout kiosks at airports. And it's gotten out of hand.

Las Vegas is the land of tipping. Servers, bartenders dealers, valet, bell desk, concierge - it's non-stop!

Etiquette experts Like Thomas Farley — who is known as Mister Manners — are calling it “tipflation.” Farley says that people are really feeling imposed upon. We’re  through very inflationary times. Everything is very expensive. And on top of that, you’re being asked every time you turn around, ‘How much would you like to tip?’

So put your wallet away, and take notice of these five people and scenarios that don’t require a tip.

As a blanket rule, you don’t need to tip anyone who earns a salary or performs a trade. That means you don’t have to tip doctors, lawyers, teachers, plumbers or cable techs. Not only would it not be expected, it would be highly unorthodox and very awkward.  Plus, in certain situations, it could be seen as attempting to get some sort of favor or that it might be some sort of a bribe.

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As a rule, anyone working at a counter is earning a wage, while those delivering food, either to your table or to your home, rely on tips as a major part of their income. Tipping people who work behind a counter, such as a barista or a cashier, is not a requirement as far as etiquette experts are concerned — even if that tablet suggests otherwise.  But when they turn that device around, it’s this glaring thing, and people feel shamed into tipping,  That’s not to say a tip for a counter worker is out of the question, and isn't a nice gesture.  If you frequent the place regularly, and they have your order memorized, then go for it!

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If you go to an event with an open bar, the bar staff may or may not put out a tip jar. But s a rule of thumb,  the host of that event has likely already taken care of the tip. It would be included in what they’ve had to pay for the venue or bartending service. This means you’re not obligated to tip, too. It is, of course, appreciated  and may help get you better service throughout the night.  Now, if they give you a heavier pour., a buck or two isn’t much to ask.

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You don’t have to tip twice for the same service. Like the your nail girl, who you tipped, but had to pay at the counter, and were prompted to tip again. Sorry, but that's just the business trying to get more money out of you! The situation is a little trickier in cities that have implemented minimum wage requirements for tipped workers, such as restaurant servers. Some restaurants in these cities will apply a 20% service charge to your bill before giving you with the option to tip. In those situations, it's ok to discreetly ask your server where the fee is going. If it goes to the servers, bussers and so forth, you don't have to tip again. If the money goes to the house, you’ll want to leave a tip for the server who took care of you. From an etiquette standpoint, we still tip the servers who are bringing us our food,  but you don't have to do 20% on top of 20%!

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You’re never obligated to tip someone for poor service or if you’ve had a rude interaction with them. In the case of a one-on-one service, such as a haircut, this is pretty cut and dried. In fact, if they ruined your hair, they don’t deserve a tip, and you probably need a refund. In the case of a restaurant, it gets a little trickier. Use a sliding scale for restaurant tipping, with 20% as the standard, and more if a server goes above and beyond. Even with bad service, you shouldn’t go lower than 10%, because often the server is not at fault. If the food took too long to come out, that’s a kitchen issue. If it wasn’t made properly, that’s a kitchen issue. A bad interaction with a server, you may not tip much, but be sure to bring it up with management. That way they’ll know you weren’t just a jerk.

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