A former state senator, the owner of the casino, has been accused of misusing public COVID-19 relief funds to purchase luxury cars. The accusations have been vehemently denied by both former Rep. Senator Andy Sandborn and his legal representative who has accused the state of building its case on thin grounds and without substantiated evidence.

Looking into the Former Senator’s COVID Fund Spending

Although examiner Michael King, who oversaw the case, did not outright confirm the allegations – as it was beyond his remit, King still noted that the accusations were serious enough for the New Hampshire State Lottery Commission to consider revoking Sanborn’s gaming license.

Sanborn is accused of improperly obtaining federal funds and then misrepresenting their use. The commission and King argue that Sanborn paid himself large sums and failed to keep a detailed enough record-keeping to dispel doubt, prompting the regulator to order the casino shut. This undermined the public confidence, King noted.

The good news for the property is that it may reopen in six months, but only under the aegis of a new owner. This means that Sanborn would have to sell the business. As to the exact severity of the allegations against Sanborn, they pertain to an $844,000 fund that was handed down by the Small Business Administration.

According to investigators, when applying, Sanborn did not specify that he owned a casino business and was applying as a casino business for the loan. Such businesses were not eligible to obtain funding at the time.

Time Begins to Tick for Sanborn and the Concord Venue

 Yet, Sanborn is alleged to have secured the funding and then spent at least $181,000 on two Porsche race cars with another $80,000 on a Ferrari for his wife. He also paid himself $183,000 for “rent” for the Concord venue.

Interestingly, the loan was also spent on luxury goods – the cars – that were not American-made which was another violation of the terms of securing the funding and its subsequent spending.

The commission and King have agreed to wait until Sanborn has a chance to sell his business while suspending operations at the venue for the time being providing it’s done within six months. It’s yet not clear if he will continue challenging the commission and its conclusions.

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The Las Vegas Valley Water District (LVVWD) has once again published its Top 100 Residential Water Users list. Unsurprisingly, the top spots are occupied by many affluent people, some of whom happen to be related to the state’s flourishing casino industry.

The list seeks to provide insights into the amounts of water used by homeowners in one of the United States’ driest states. Much of the water goes to support the aforementioned homeowners’ lawns and pools.

The list is topped by Spanish Gate Holdings’ Spanish Gate Drive property. Currently on sale for $25 million, the luxurious home sprawls 16 acres and boasts some three pools. The second entry on the list is Miriam Adelson, the widow of the late Las Vegas Sands CEO and chairman, Sheldon Adelson.

Lorenzo J. Fertitta occupies the not-so-prestigious third spot. The former UFC CEO is not the only fighting sports-related name on the list either, as the famous boxing star Floyd Mayweather took the number 37 spot and Dana White, the current CEO of the UFC, took the 6th spot.

Fertitta is not the only name with ties to the gambling industry either. The billionaire is currently serving as the director of Red Rock Resorts, with his family operating the Station Casinos brand. Lorenzo is also not the only member of the Fertitta family to appear on the list as Victoria Fertitta, daughter of Frank Fertitta, took the 57th spot on LVVWD’s list.

Another gambling industry notable to pop up on the Top 100 Residential Water Users list is Phil Ruffin, owner of Circus Circus and Treasure Island. He occupies the 59th spot on the list.

Charities Believe Rich People Don’t Care

According to Kyle Roerink, exec director of Great Basin Water Network, many people in Nevada seem to not realize that they live in the Mojave Desert. In an interview with 8 News Now, the director of the water conservation charity slammed affluent people for not caring about the state’s dwindling water supplies.

In any case, Las Vegas continues to recycle as much water as possible. However, millions of gallons continue to be lost maintaining the greenery of affluent persons’ mansions.

The publishing of the Top 100 Residential Water Users list comes just as Nevada, Arizona and California negotiated a plan to reduce water usage and save the Colorado River.

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