Nev. regulators probing Jordan son's partying

Aug 30, 2010 - 11:35 PM By OSKAR GARCIA Associated Press Writer

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- MGM Resorts International was under investigation after the underage son of basketball great Michael Jordan bragged on Twitter about partying at a Las Vegas Strip nightclub, Nevada gambling regulators said Monday.

Officials were examining whether the casino operator violated laws prohibiting drinking or gambling by minors, Nevada Gaming Control Board enforcement chief Jerry Markling said.

People under 21 often try to gamble or drink in Las Vegas, but punishment for casino operators depend on the circumstances, Markling said.

Jordan's 19-year-old son Marcus Jordan tweeted Aug. 20 about spending $35,000 at Haze at Aria Resort & Casino.

"Last night was stupid... 35K at Haze," the University of Central Florida sophomore guard said. "Totals 50K something the whole day."

The tweet has since been removed from the site.

Jordan told a Fox Sports website last week that the tweet was a mistake and said he had conversations with both his parents about it.

"I didn't mean it the way it came across," he said. "My family and friends know the type of person I am."

Jordan was in Las Vegas for his dad's fantasy basketball camp with his brother, Jeffrey, and teammate A.J. Rompza.

A video posted to Twitter by Jeffrey Jordan shows all three players hanging out at the Liquid Pool Lounge, the resort's adults-only pool.

UCF basketball spokesman Doug Richards said the school had no comment.

MGM Resorts spokesman Alan Feldman declined comment. The Aria is the centerpiece casino of CityCenter, the company's joint venture with Dubai World that cost $8.5 billion to build.

Markling said he could not comment specifically about the case. He said the control board's findings would not be made public.

Markling said punishments in general depend on the infraction's scope, and could involve verbal warnings, fines, or in extreme cases suspending an operator's gambling license.

---

Associated Press Writer Antonio Gonzalez in Orlando, Fla., and researcher Barbara Sambriski in New York contributed to this report.