Nevada Gaming Control Board Files Complaint Against Resorts World Las Vegas For Allowing Illegal Activities

The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) has filed a complaint against Genting Group-owned Resorts World Las Vegas (RWLV), accusing the luxury casino of fostering an environment where suspicious and illegal activities were either negligently disregarded or deliberately ignored. This accusation centers around allegations that the casino turned a blind eye to gambling by known illegal bookies and convicted felons, without verifying the sources of their funds, all while reaping millions in profits.

The NGCB’s complaint alleges that there was a systemic failure at RWLV to properly scrutinize suspicious activities, particularly those involving high-stakes gamblers.

According to the complaint, RWLV executives accepted or ignored warning signs in their pursuit of financial gain. This negligence was reportedly compounded by the fact that the executives’ bonuses were directly tied to the casino’s financial success, creating a potential conflict of interest.

The Mathew Bowyer chain

One of the most significant figures named in the gaming regulator’s complaint is Mathew Bowyer, an illegal bookie who reportedly lost nearly $8 million at RWLV. Bowyer’s gambling activities at the casino were extensive, with the complaint detailing how he was able to wager large sums of money over a 20-month period without the casino establishing a legitimate source of funds.

In December 2021, Bowyer submitted a $5,000 credit application to RWLV, which was later converted into a $1 million front money application. Despite the inability to verify the legitimacy of his business, the casino accepted his deposits and allowed him to gamble. By February 2022, Bowyer had deposited $1 million in front money, yet RWLV had still not confirmed the source of these funds.

Bowyer is also the bookmaker involved in the scandal connected to MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani. The L.A. Dodgers player’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, allegedly stole millions from Ohtani, some of which he gambled away through Bowyer at Las Vegas casinos.

The complaint alleges that despite repeated warnings from the casino’s compliance personnel, including the director of casino cage operations, that Bowyer was a known bookie, the casino allowed him to continue gambling.

The complaint also implicates Bowyer’s wife, Nicole, who entered into an independent agent agreement with the casino in April 2022. This agreement allowed her to earn commissions from her husband’s gambling activities, despite the apparent illegal nature of his funds. The complaint asserts that Nicole Bowyer must have known where her husband’s money came from.

Failures in anti-money laundering compliance

The complaint outlines multiple failures in Resorts World’s anti-money laundering (AML) compliance. Despite being aware of Bowyer’s suspicious activities, the casino’s AML committee, which included senior executives such as the president, chief financial officer, and director of compliance, did not take adequate steps to investigate or restrict Bowyer’s activities.

At several AML committee meetings, the casino’s director of casino cage operations raised concerns about Bowyer being a known bookie. However, these concerns were either dismissed or deliberately removed from meeting minutes.

In one instance, during a March 2023 meeting, an executive requested that the word “bookie” be stricken from the record, arguing that it was merely an opinion with no evidence to support it. This decision allowed Bowyer to continue gambling at the casino, accumulating further losses without any proper investigation into the source of his funds.

Broader implications and ongoing investigations

The NGCB’s complaint against RWLV is part of a broader investigation into illegal gambling activities involving several high-profile figures. The complaint also mentions “Patron A,” another gambler who reportedly lost $10 million at Resorts World between September 2022 and December 2023. Despite admitting to his host that he was a bookie, Patron A was allowed to continue gambling without any intervention from the casino’s management.

Resorts World is also accused of granting credit to convicted illegal gambler Edwin Ting, who lost over $800,000 at the casino before being banned in August 2023. Additionally, the casino permitted Chad Iwamoto, who had pleaded guilty to a felony in 2014, to gamble despite his criminal record.

Absent from the complaint’s details is Scott Sibella, the former president of RWLV and the MGM Grand. However, the NGCB’s findings suggest that the casino, under the leadership of Sibella, may have turned a blind eye to suspicious financial transactions and activities on its premises, which are said to have occurred during Sibella’s tenure before his dismissal in September 2023.

While Sibella was not implicated in the NGCB’s recent filing, his previous guilty plea to federal charges related to violations of the Bank Secrecy Act while overseeing MGM Grand Las Vegas casts a shadow over his managerial practices. His probation sentence, handed down after his admission of guilt, adds another layer to the ongoing scrutiny of his professional conduct.

The NGCB has a lot of leeway in how it reacts to the ongoing investigations. If it determines that RWLV deserves punishment, which would only happen after the casino responds to a formal complaint, it could issue a fine and request management changes. In the worst-case scenario, Genting could lose its gaming license in the state.