Fight over taxing comped casino meals enters next stage
By Steve Green, Las Vegas Sun
Boyd Gaming Corp. of Las Vegas, as expected, has filed a lawsuit to overturn rulings by the state Tax Commission requiring it to pay sales taxes on complimentary meals provided to employees and customers.
The Tax Commission ruled in January that the comped meals were taxable “retail sales.” The decision came as the panel rejected a $21 million refund sought by Boyd Gaming, a big casino operator with such properties as Sam’s Town and the Orleans.
It’s believed the ruling against Boyd will also result in the rejection of $225 million in potential refunds for other casino operators.
Carson City attorney John Bartlett, representing Boyd Gaming, last week filed a “petition for judicial review” of the decision in Clark County District Court in Las Vegas.
