The fallout from former Resorts World President Scott Sibella fostering an illegal gambling operation is continuing to be felt.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) filed a disciplinary complaint on Thursday against Resorts World Las Vegas and its parent and affiliated companies as well as individuals working for the property. The NGCB filed the complaint following an investigation by its enforcement team into alleged violations of the Nevada Gaming Control Act and the Nevada Gaming Commission’s regulations.
Sibella abruptly resigned as president of Resorts World last October. He recently pleaded guilty to money laundering charges stemming from his previous tenure at MGM Resorts where he allowed known illegal bookie Wayne Nix to gamble at the property despite knowing how he was making his money.
The NGCB alleges Resorts World fostered an operational environment that lacked oversight as an entertainment destination with suspected or direct ties to illegal gambling businesses. The alleged lack of compliance led Resorts World to not meet the standards of its Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Program by allowing individuals to wager money siphoned through illegal gambling operations. The probe, which focuses on the conduct of bookie Matthew Bowyer, found Resorts World should have known Bowyer was using funds obtained through illegal activity.
Bowyer made headlines earlier this year when he was charged with operating an illegal sports betting ring with clients including Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.
Bowyer agreed to plead guilty on Aug. 9 to operating an unlawful gambling business, money laundering, and subscribing to a false tax return for his role in the scheme. Mizuhara has also pleaded guilty to federal bank and tax charges for his involvement.
“Legal compliance and ethical business practices are at the core of our business,” says Resorts World’s AML program according to the complaint filed with the State of Nevada. “The company regards attempts at money laundering as a threat to the integrity of the company, the gaming industry, and the entire financial system.”
Resorts World’s AML program requires employees to report suspicious activity and any violations but the NCGB alleges a complete disregard for regulations by the casino when it came to Bowyer and some associates.
Bowyer’s involvement
Bowyer submitted a $5,000 credit application to Resorts World in 2021 that was later converted to a $1 million front-money application. The 49-year-old was allowed to wager at Resorts World in 2022 after making a $1 million front-money deposit despite the casino not establishing a source of funds after receiving his application.
Moreover, Bowyer requested to transfer casino hosts so that his wife, Nicole Bowyer, would serve as his host.
The NGCB’s probe found that AML program members failed to report the discrepancies. As a result, Bowyer was allowed to play and wager millions while at Resorts World. In two months, Bowyer lost nearly $1.2 million while failing to verify a source of funds.
According to the complaint, Resorts World should have known that Bowyer was using illegal bookmaking funds. A separate complaint against Nicole Bowyer alleged that she had to have known where the money was coming from and was negligent in not reporting it to the casino.
Some Resorts World executives, including Sibella, had the unilateral authority to ban or bar Bowyer but they allegedly turned a blind eye to his gambling.
Bowyer was allegedly allowed to play at Resorts World without a source of funds for 20 months. His role as a bookie would also allegedly trickle down to casino employees.
The illegal gambling operation
Bowyer made friends with casino employees at an arranged marketing trip in October 2023 for an NFL football game in Dallas, Texas. That weekend, Bowyer allegedly offered money to a Resorts World host for client referrals. The host would later provide Bowyer with a potential client and failed to report him as an apparent illegal bookmaker.
Another Resorts World host became involved when a patron notified them of Bowyer “taking action” as an illegal bookmaker. The host also failed to report the incident.
Between June 2022 and October 2023, Bowyer reportedly lost $7.9 million at casinos. According to court documents, he owes more than $1.5 million in unpaid taxes.
Bowyer’s illegal gambling operation and Resorts World’s facilitation came to light after a federal search warrant was executed at his home. The search was executed after bank statements from MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani’s bank account revealed that his former interpreter stole at least $16 million from the athlete to wager illegally with Bowyer.
Bowyer is not Resorts World’s only issue
Resorts World is also catching heat from the NGCB over a 10-year-old illegal gambling case.
The complaint filed by the NGCB alleges Resorts World failed to bar, ban, or restrict Edwin Ting, who ran an illegal gambling business. In 2014, Ting was sentenced to five months in prison in a New York federal court and ordered to forfeit $2 million for running an illegal poker operation that used intimidation to collect debts from players who refused to pay.
After his sentence, Ting often visited Resorts World to gamble where he wagered and lost thousands of dollars. In July 2021, Resorts World extended a $300,000 credit line to Ting. Two months later, the casino denied all credit to Ting. The convicted felon would later receive a $500,000 credit in March 2023 from Resorts World, which is a violation of the Nevada Gaming Control Act due to Ting being tied to illegal gambling businesses.
The NGCB’s also found that Chad Iwamoto failed to be restricted or banned by Resorts World after he pleaded guilty in 2014 to the transmission of wagering information and failing to file monthly tax returns while involved in an illegal internet gambling operation.
Between 2021 and 2024, Iwamoto lost over $2 million at Resorts World. Iwamoto was later banned from Resorts World until April 2024 due to his felony illegal gambling conviction.
