LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — A disciplinary complaint has been filed against Resorts World Las Vegas, alleging that illegal bookmakers and other persons with alleged ties to illegal gambling were allowed to place bets at the casino, which consequently damaged the reputation of the state and its gambling industry.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board’s 12-point complaint accuses Resorts World of allowing a “culture of openness” toward individuals with ties to the bookmaking industry or convictions related to illegal gambling.
This is a shocking development for Resorts World, which opened to great fanfare in 2021 after taking the place of the former Stardust and other failed casino concepts.
“Resorts World Las Vegas is aware of the complaint from the Nevada Gaming Control Board (GCB),” a Resorts World spokesperson said in a statement to News 3. “We are committed to conducting our business with the highest integrity and in accordance with applicable laws and industry guidelines. We are in active communication with the GCB to resolve these issues so we can move forward and focus on our guests and nearly 5,000 team members.”
According to regulators, well-known bookmaker Mathew Bowyer was among those who gambled at Resorts World. Bowyer pleaded guilty last week in a separate case, to an indictment in federal court for operating an illegal gambling enterprise.
Bowyer was also involved in the scandal that led to the indictment of Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. Mizuhara admitted to stealing millions of dollars from Ohtani and using the money to make illegal bets with Bowyer.
The lawsuit alleges that Bowyer visited Resorts World on 80 different days between July 2022 and October 2023, losing more than $6.6 million while gambling. Resorts World should have known he was operating an illegal sports betting operation, investigators allege, and failing to ban him could have led to potential money laundering.
These visits took place while Scott Sibella was president of Resorts World Las Vegas. Sibella was not named in the Gaming Control Board’s complaint, However, he faces separate charges for This allowed the well-known bookmaker Wayne Nix to play there during his term as president of the MGM Grand.
Other people who bet at Resorts World, according to the lawsuit, included Edwin Ting, who is known to have ties to organized crime and pleaded guilty to operating an illegal gambling business; Chad Iwamoto, who was convicted of a gambling offense in 2014; and another person suspected of being an illegal bookmaker.
“The culture within Resorts World has created the perception – or in certain circumstances the reality – that Resorts World is a conduit for laundering funds from illegal activities,” the Gaming Control Board said in a press release.
Resorts World was negligent in complying with its anti-money laundering program, the board alleges, and executives either “negligently disregarded” or “willfully ignored” suspicious or illegal activities for financial reasons.
The executives failed to fulfill their responsibilities as holders of a privileged gaming license, the panel said, thereby damaging the reputation of Nevada and its gaming industry.
Regulators are asking the Nevada Gaming Commission to fine Resorts World millions of dollars for each of the 12 charges and potentially take action against the company’s gaming license.
The board also filed a separate complaint against Bowyer’s wife, Nicole, a registered independent agent who had a contract with Resorts World. The complaint alleges that she directly profited from her husband’s gambling and refused to cooperate with the board’s investigation.
Regulators want the Commission to fine Nicole Bowyer and take action against her registration.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board is responsible for prosecuting violations of the state’s gambling laws. The Nevada Gaming Commission will decide whether Resorts World and Nicole Bowyer should be sanctioned.
