Newsletter Signup
Stay informed with the
NEW Casino City Times newsletter! Related Links
|
Gaming News
Aces Wired under investigation22 May 2008DALLAS, Texas -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Aces Wired, Inc. (OTCBB: AWIR), an operator of amusement gaming centers and a licensed distributor of bingo supplies and equipment, announced today that the Texas Attorney General shut down Aces' locations in Dallas, Fort Worth, Corpus Christi, San Antonio and Copperas Cove and is the process of investigating the legality of the Company's amusement with price (AWP) machines. Ken Griffith, Aces' Chief Executive Officer provided the following statement in response to the government enforcement action conducted today, May 21, 2008. "We believe the actions taken today have no legal basis, and we look forward to our day in court. Aces has always operated openly, transparently, and in compliance with Texas law. We have been proactive in communicating with local authorities regarding the operation of the Company's amusement-with-prize (AWP) gaming business and responsive to any and all concerns that have been expressed. Our belief in the legality of our AWP business has been supported by an arbitration opinion obtained in September 2007, in which former Texas Supreme Court Justice Craig T. Enoch concluded that our AWP machines, which are played exclusively with the Ace Advantage Card, comply with Texas law. Later that month, the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas entered an order confirming Justice Enoch's decision. In addition to the decisions of Justice Enoch and the U.S. District Court, on April 25, 2008, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) approved our application for mixed beverage permits for an Aces gaming amusement center previously in operation in Amarillo, Texas, during the course of which they closely examined the operation of our AWP business. Although Justice Enoch, the U.S. District Court, and the TABC have recently determined that Aces' AWP business complies with Texas law, the Texas attorney general contends differently. We are confident that any Texas court will find that Aces' AWP business complies with Texas law, and determine that the charges against Aces and its employees are without merit." Note: A copy of the arbitration opinion issued on September 6, 2007, by former Texas Supreme Court Justice Craig T. Enoch, acting as an arbitrator, can be found at www.aceswired.com. Justice Enoch retired from the Texas Supreme Court after 11 years on that bench and served nearly 22 years as a district and appeals court judge and was recognized for his work to improve case-handling by courts and cutting case backlogs so disputes are resolved more quickly. During his tenure on the Texas Supreme Court, Justice Enoch joined in the Court's 2002 ruling in Hardy v. State of Texas, in which the Court held that certain gaming machines awarding players with gift certificates or other representations of value that are the equivalent of cash are illegal. |