On Thursday, the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NVC) filed a disciplinary complaint against Resorts World Las Vegas and its affiliated companies, alleging that the casino allowed players with ties to the illegal bookmaking business and a history of convictions for serious federal crimes to play at its casino.
In its 31-page complaint containing 12 charges, the regulatory body stated that several individuals placed bets worth millions of dollars at Resorts World over several months, thereby damaging the reputation of the Nevada gambling industry.
Suspected or known felons who placed bets at Resorts World included Mathew Bowyer, who pleaded guilty last week to operating an illegal gambling business, money laundering and signing a false tax return; Edwin Ting, who was convicted in federal court of operating an illegal gambling business and is known to have ties to organized crime; Chad Iwamoto, who was convicted in federal court of leaking betting information and failing to file a monthly tax return for his wages; and another person suspected of being an illegal bookmaker.
Response from Resorts World
A Resorts World spokesman confirmed the complaint on Thursday.
“Resorts World Las Vegas is aware of the complaint from the Nevada Gaming Control Board,” it said in an emailed statement. “We are committed to conducting our business with the highest integrity and in accordance with applicable laws and industry guidelines. We have been actively communicating with the GCB to resolve these issues so we can move forward and focus on our guests and nearly 5,000 team members.”
The Board of Control filed a second complaint on Thursday against Nicole Bowyer, Mathew Bowyer’s wife and a registered independent agent contracted by Resorts World. As an independent agent, Nicole Bowyer was able to profit directly from casino betting.
“As a result, Ms. Bowyer received payments from Resorts World despite knowing with certainty that her husband’s source of funds came at least in part from illegal activities,” a representative of the oversight board said in a statement. “To date, Ms. Bowyer has not cooperated with the NGCB’s investigation.”
Resorts World now has the opportunity to respond to the allegations. The company can either request a hearing before the five-member Nevada Gaming Commission, which would act as judge and jury in a formal setting, or it can negotiate a settlement, which the commission would have to approve.
Under the law, Resorts World could have its unrestricted gaming license revoked or suspended and the company could be fined up to $250,000 per case – or $3 million. Due to notifications and possible negotiations on an agreed settlement, it could take several months for the case to be decided.
Examination details
The Oversight Board’s complaint set out the investigators’ conclusions in detail.
“The Panel’s investigation found that, over a period of several months, Resorts World encouraged certain individuals to place bets at its casino even though Resorts World’s executives and employees knew or should have known that these individuals were likely illegal bookmakers, had criminal records related to illegal gambling activities, or had ties to organized crime,” the complaint states.
The complaint stated that Resorts World failed to comply with its anti-money laundering program and Nevada Gaming Commission regulations.
The lawsuit also alleges that “there is a general lack of control within Resorts World and that Resorts World executives accept a culture in which information about suspicious or illegal activities is at least negligently ignored or, at worst, willfully ignored for financial gain, given Resorts World’s general pressure to generate revenue and Resorts World executive bonuses are directly tied to Resorts World’s financial success.”
News of the complaint was not entirely unexpected. The whistleblower, Robert “RJ” Cipriani, known as Robin Hood 702 on his X account (formerly Twitter), had posted that he expected regulators to file charges against Resorts World.
“I have been waiting for this day for over five years,” Cipriani said in an interview. “I reported these illegal acts to the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the FBI five years ago, and until now nobody has done anything about it. It took five years, and I have the documents to prove it. The good people of Las Vegas, who are tired of criminals running this city, welcome this day.”
In October, Cipriani filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Nevada against Resorts World and its former president and COO Scott Sibella for ignoring information that the casino was allowing illegal players to gamble.
“I filed a federal lawsuit against Resorts World and Scott Sibella almost a year ago,” he said. “Everyone laughed at me and said these allegations were all nonsense, including the lawyers representing Resorts World and Scott Sibella. Now I’ve been vindicated.”
Sibella not mentioned by name
Neither Sibella nor any other member of Resorts World AML (anti-money laundering) compliance committee were named in Thursday’s complaint.
However, there is an active complaint filed against Sibella on April 30, containing allegations made against him while he was serving in a similar capacity at MGM Grand. This complaint has yet to be adjudicated by the Gaming Commission.
The starting point of this lawsuit was Sibella’s guilty plea for violations of the Bank Secrecy Act.
Sibella was sentenced to one year of probation and a $9,500 fine for violating the law designed to combat money laundering in financial institutions.
U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee announced the ruling in May in the Central District Court of California in downtown Los Angeles.
Sibella, who pleaded guilty on January 24, failed to file suspicious transaction reports required by casinos during his time as head of MGM Grand between August 2017 and February 2019.
The MGM Grand and the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, both owned by MGM Resorts International, reached a settlement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to drop prosecution, paid a total of $7.45 million in fines for their roles in the case and are cooperating with authorities as they continue to investigate the scope of illegal bookmaking in California.
According to court documents, Sibella ignored the presence of illegal bookmaker Wayne Nix, a former minor league baseball pitcher who gambled illegally at the MGM Grand.
After leaving MGM Grand, Sibella worked for Resorts World before being fired in September for violating company policies.
Kirk Hendrick, chairman of the Gaming Control Board and one of the three board members who signed the complaint against Resorts World, issued a statement via email.
“The Nevada Gaming Control Board is committed to protecting the State of Nevada, its citizens and visitors, and Nevada’s vital gaming industry,” Hendrick said. “All alleged violations of Nevada’s gaming laws and regulations are fully investigated and disciplinary action is taken when necessary.”
Contact Richard N. Velotta at [email protected] or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X. Review-Journal reporter David Danzis contributed to this report.
