Resorts World casino in Las Vegas fined $10.5M in money-laundering case

Nevada gaming regulators have imposed a $10.5 million fine on the Resorts World casino located on the Las Vegas Strip due to allegations of illegal gambling. The charges included facilitating activities involving a bookmaker connected to the interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani, among other violations.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board filed a complaint against Resorts World last year, accusing the casino of allowing individuals with connections to illegal bookmaking and those with prior gambling-related felony convictions to participate in gaming activities. The recent fine, announced on Thursday, marks the second-highest penalty issued by the Nevada Gaming Commission, which oversees such disciplinary actions.

As part of a settlement agreement, Resorts World and its parent company neither admit nor deny the accusations but have committed to leadership changes and stricter anti-money laundering protocols. The casino did not immediately provide comments regarding the fine.

Central to the allegations is Mathew Bowyer, a Southern California bookmaker who accepted numerous sports bets from the aforementioned interpreter. Bowyer, who has pleaded guilty to operating an illegal gambling business, reportedly lost over $6.6 million during a 15-month period at Resorts World, where he was allowed to gamble on multiple occasions without appropriate scrutiny of his funding sources.

The complaint highlighted various infractions, including the casino's failure to distance itself from suspected illegal bookmakers and the misconduct of casino hosts who allegedly reported and referred clients to these bookmakers. Additionally, some violations pertained to granting credit to individuals with known illegal gambling affiliations, which included those involved in significant unlawful gambling operations.