Are noncompete clauses in gaming executive contracts enforceable?

That’s a question that could emerge as Wynn Las Vegas’ recent lawsuit against Fontainebleau Las Vegas moves forward. The suit accuses Fontainebleau of illegally poaching Wynn executives under contract.

Legal and academic experts say Wynn presented all the right elements in its Feb. 29 legal action against its Strip neighbor.

Wynn officials say they see efforts to steal their employees whenever a new Strip resort opens, but Fontainebleau efforts have been persistent since mid-2022, even after leaders of both resorts met and hammered out an understanding with Fontainebleau promising to stop recruiting from Wynn, which it said had “an unhealthy obsession with everything Wynn, from its amenities to its employees.”