RENO, Nevada: One of the largest casinos on the Las Vegas Strip has been accused of welcoming illegal bookmaking, people with a history of gambling-related felony convictions and individuals linked to organized crime, in a disciplinary complaint by the Nevada Gaming Control Board
The Southern California bookmaker Mathew Bowyer was at the center of the complaint. Bowyer pleaded guilty last 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.
Resorts World said it is communicating with the board to resolve the issues 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 about 15 months while repeatedly failing to verify his funding source. According to the complaint, Bowyer lost over US$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.
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 committee acknowledged during the board’s investigation that Bowyer’s source of funding did not justify his level of play.
