Galaxy Gaming withdraws Nevada licence application

Table games developer Galaxy Gaming Inc has decided to withdraw its distribution licence application with the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) following the organisation's recommendation to pass Galaxy’s licence request back to them.

All three officials from the NGCB voted to return the company's licence application following two days of hearings, after unanimously declaring Galaxy Gaming Chairman and President Robert Saucier unsuitable to be licensed in Nevada as a beneficial owner, officer and director of the company.

Representatives acting on behalf of Galaxy Gaming cited the fact that Saucier and his executive team had boosted revenue growth by 22.6% a year since 2007 and that Galaxy had been profitable for six straight years, notably boosting cash flow to $5.1m in 2016 and slashing debt by $2.3m last year.

The licence would have allowed Galaxy to develop and distribute new casino games throughout the state. Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) officials had been scheduled to discuss the NGCB’s recommendation at a meeting which would have been held on 27 July.

Officials from the NGC had the option of agreeing with the earlier recommendation, overturning its decision with unanimous vote or utilising a new law which enables the NGC to reject but not deny licensing, allowing the company to continue to operate in Nevada without providing any new games to its customers.

This is not the first time that Robert Saucier’s suitability to hold a gaming licence has been questioned, with regulators in California denying him a licence in 2013 after a three-year investigation into Galaxy Gaming’s business dealings. The businessman has also been investigated in Washington State and was the subject of a state police enquiry in Oregon.