Port: North Dakota gambling industry heavyweight must resign over misuse of veterans charity
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North Dakota Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley meets with The Forum editorial board Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016, in Fargo. Michael Vosburg / Forum Photo Editor
MINOT — Back in April, Attorney General Drew Wrigley’s office filed a complaint against a gambling industry distributor, Western Distributing, and affiliated companies, alleging they used the Wall of Honor, a charity honoring veterans, to circumvent state charitable gaming laws.
The complaint comes at an inflection point for charitable gaming in North Dakota, with a river of revenues from the legalization of electronic pull-tab machines sparking a gold rush that has begun to blur the lines between non-profit charities and for-profit businesses.
On Thursday, July 6, Wrigley’s office announced a settlement with Western and its affiliates that requires founder and principal partner David Widsom and any immediate family members involved in the business to resign.
Western must also pay a $125,000 fine — the maximum allowable — and reimburse the state for $36,355.50 in attorney’s fees. Finally, the company agreed to a “deferred revocation of their gaming/distributors’ licenses.”