Editor’s note: This article has been revised to include Hairston’s addition to the list.
On Nov. 18, Leonard Morgan Hairston was added to the Excluded Person list, more commonly known as Nevada’s “Black Book,” by the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB).
The Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) made the decision on whether Hairston will be banned from Nevada casinos during its monthly meeting in November.
Contrary to the portrayal in movies and TV shows, the Black Book is not a comprehensive list of cheaters and unscrupulous individuals banned from Nevada casinos. The reality is somewhat different.
Hairston is only the 37th individual on the Excluded Person list in Nevada.
Kendrick Laronte Weatherspoon was the latest individual to be added to the list, as of August, for reasons differing from most others in the Black Book. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Weatherspoon was banned from Nevada casinos due to his “history of assaulting women and coercing them into prostitution at Strip resorts.”
Hairston’s record of cheating Nevada casinos
Hairston has a lengthy record of trying to defraud casinos. He has been taken into custody 34 times for different offenses.
He holds multiple felony convictions and has been charged by authorities for theft as well as the production and usage of counterfeit casino chips.
In 2004, Hairston attempted to use two counterfeit $25 Palms chips at the Fremont Casino, which were in fact old chips from the Dunes Casino that closed in 1993.
A few days later, Hairston attempted the same trick at another casino in downtown Las Vegas. This time, he tried to use counterfeit $25 chips from Palms at Fitzgeralds, now known as The D.
When Hairston was apprehended by the police at Fitzgeralds, he was found to be in possession of additional counterfeit casino chips. He was caught with fraudulent $100 chips from:
- Bellagio
- Hard Rock
- Luxor
- Mandalay Bay
Last month, during a board meeting, Deputy Attorney General John Michela stated that Hairston is a “serial gaming offender” who cannot seem to stay out of trouble.
Black Book was likely for Hairston
It was anticipated that Hairston would be added to the Excluded Person list. His numerous crimes over the years, unlike Weatherspoon’s, had a direct impact on casino businesses.
In addition, Michela pointed out that Hairston’s extensive criminal record makes him a strong contender for the Excluded Person list. The sentiment was echoed by NGCB member Philip Katsaros who added:
Without a doubt, he poses a significant threat to our regulatory control over the casinos. It’s worrying to contemplate how many more agents we might require if there were numerous individuals involved in the same degree of criminal activity as him.
Should the commission include Hairston on the list, he would become the second individual to be banned by Nevada casinos in the last three months. The matter was voted on by the NGC during their November meeting.
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