In Southern Nevada, a Las Vegas casino has faced scrutiny for allegedly some gaming misconduct recently. Per a recent article, one of the largest casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, Resorts World Las Vegas, has been accused of welcoming illegal bookmaking, people with a history of gambling-related felony convictions, and individuals linked to organized crime. This is according to a recent disciplinary complaint by the Nevada Gaming Control Board. The Southern California bookmaker Mathew Bowyer was at the center of the complaint. Bowyer pleaded guilty the other week in federal court in Santa Ana, California, to running an illegal gambling business. He took thousands of sports bets from the former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani. The board asked the Nevada Gaming Commission to fine the company and take what experts say would be rare action against Resorts World’s gaming license.
In this report, SBS will be going over what to look for from the latest gaming news coming from Las Vegas along with even more notes and info about gaming in the city.
Per the same report, Resorts World said it is communicating with the board to resolve the issue so it can focus on its guests and nearly 5,000 employees. The 31-page complaint alleges that Resorts World allowed Bowyer to play 80 separate days over 15 months while repeatedly failing to verify his funding source. According to the complaint, Bowyer lost over U.S. $6.6 million during that time while the casino extended gifts, discounts, and flights on its private jet.
Bowyer was banned from Resorts World on October 6, 2023, after a federal warrant was executed to search his home. Prosecutors said Bowyer ran an illegal gambling business for at least five years in Southern California and Las Vegas and took wagers from more than 700 bettors, including Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. Bowyer’s attorney Diane Bass was unavailable for comment. There were 12 counts in the complaint against Resorts World. Of these, six related to Bowyer, including failing to distance from suspected illegal bookmakers, failure of casino hosts to report suspected illegal bookings, and hosts referring prospective customers to suspected illicit bookmakers.
Other counts were related to hundreds of thousands of dollars in credit to others with histories of illegal gambling convictions or organized crime. One of them was convicted of conducting an illegal gambling business, and another was convicted of a large-scale internet gambling operation.
Noted in the same article, the complaint also alleges that Resorts World employees failed to report unusual or suspicious activity and its anti-money laundering program violations to their superiors. According to the complaint, members of the program acknowledged during the board’s investigation that Bowyer’s source of funding did not justify his level of play.
Per another article, the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) levied the allegations against RWLV and its co-defendants in a disciplinary complaint filed against the casino resort earlier this month. The complaint further accuses RWLV of plying said players with “comps, gifts, and discounts” allowing them to “wager and lose substantial amounts of money.” In the 12-count filing, the NGCB alleges that RWLV’s internal culture allowed illegal activity to flourish at the Vegas property.
“The Board’s investigation further revealed that there exists an overall lack of control within Resorts World and acceptance among Resorts World executives of a culture where information of suspicious or illegal activity is, at a minimum, negligently disregarded. Or, at worst, willfully ignored for financial gain given the overall pressure for Resorts World to generate revenue and that the bonuses of Resorts World’s executives are directly tied to the financial success of Resorts World,” the Board explained in its report.
According to the same report, the NGCB further argues that RWLV’s reputation as an “avenue to launder” illegal funds reflects poorly on Nevada and its gaming industry. “Resorts World failed to fulfill its obligations as the holder of a privileged Nevada gaming license and caused damage to the reputation of the State of Nevada and Nevada’s gaming industry.
The Board has requested the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) fine RWLV and its owners (Genting Berhad and related companies) and take action against its licenses. News of the complaints is welcomed by many per the article, including activist gambler RJ Cipriani, aka Robin Hood 702. In recent years, Cipriani has seemingly made it his mission to weed out corruption in Sin City. Conversely, according to various media reports, RWLV’s parent company, Genting, has sought legal advice on moving forward. Meanwhile, it says RWLV is cooperating with the NGCB.
Once you are all squared away in relation to the latest updates and notes coming from Las Vegas, make sure to check out the awesome array of information available to you at SBS. Of course, for even more information on the locale covered here, make sure to peruse the online Vegas sportsbooks guide which goes over some helpful information for eligible customers. For those on the go, another excellent page to check out is the best betting apps rundown. Here you can learn more about the nuances of mobile betting and how you can always stay on top of the action. Finally, if you are looking for different deposit and withdrawal options, look no further than the payment methods breakdown which goes over all kinds of different options from crypto to more traditional banking methods.
About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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