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The Indiana Gaming Commission has banned a local Elks lodge from hosting a charity gaming casino for over a decade following investigations that revealed multiple violations.
Elks Lodge 155, situated at 3323 Saint Joe Center Road, had its license revoked by the Indiana Gaming Commission last year. This decision followed a series of complaints filed in April regarding the “FW Casino.” The regulator formally submitted a complaint in October, and by December, the lodge’s license was officially terminated.
Disciplinary documents also detail a settlement between the lodge and the Indiana Gaming Commision, with the lodge mandated to pay $25,000 in damages. Additionally, it must maintain a separate gaming bank account for a period of 12 months.
Moreover, the lodge faces a three-year ban on all charity gaming activities. After five years, it will only be eligible for limited gaming licenses, including bingo, raffles, and festivals. The lodge will also be prohibited from applying for a casino game night license for a full decade.
“It is good riddance for the Riviera and Canterbury area; it never should have taken place,” said Jehl. “The City of Fort Wayne should have never gone out of its way to give a special use variance for use like this. The cautionary tale that I hope Fort Wayne and the larger community learns is that any casino, whether for profit, not for profit, or faux charity, needs to be vetted, publicly, that these things should not just be allowed to just pop up,” Russ Jehl, a member of Fort Wayne City Council said to WANE 15.
Elks Lodge Violations
The Indiana regulator discovered several compliance issues during their investigation. Among the most alarming findings was the presence of previously banned individuals entering the casino after hours, which signaled a significant lapse in security protocols.
Additionally, investigators discovered a staggering $6,000 in missing chips from a gaming table in just one night, highlighting potential mismanagement and theft. The investigation further uncovered that staff training was inadequate, leading to poor oversight and a lack of necessary security measures.
Volunteers were also found to have received improper compensation; some were granted free entries into poker tournaments, cash bonuses, and even weekly cash payments, which were against regulations governing charitable gaming.
Moreover, it was revealed that the lodge failed to allocate gaming proceeds for lawful purposes on at least 22 occasions, undermining the integrity of its operations. Before the investigation commenced, the lodge reported a maximum nightly revenue of $70,000.
However, state officials monitoring the casino observed that actual nightly earnings were significantly higher, ranging from $95,000 to $122,000, raising suspicions of underreported income.
In a civil racketeering lawsuit, authorities seized over $100,000 from the casino, though no criminal charges were filed against individuals associated with the lodge. This series of violations ultimately led to the regulator’s decision to impose a 10-year ban on the charity casino’s operations, closing a chapter marked by irregularities and mismanagement.
The Indiana Gaming Commission has also decided not to pursue civil litigation against Elks Lodge 155.
Source: YogoNet
