RENO, Nevada — The Nevada Gaming Control Board filed a disciplinary complaint Thursday alleging that one of the largest casinos on the Las Vegas Strip welcomed illegal wagers, people with a history of gambling-related crimes and individuals with ties to organized crime.
Many of the allegations against Resorts World Las Vegas centered on Mathew Bowyer, the Southern California bookmaker who took thousands of sports bets from the former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani. Archer pleaded guilty last week in federal court in Santa Ana, California, for operating an illegal gambling enterprise.
The council has asked the Nevada Gaming Commission, which has the authority to impose disciplinary measures, to fine the company and take action against Resorts World’s gambling license, which experts say would be rare.
“The commission has the power to decide what they want to do with this,” said Michael Green, an associate professor of history at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, who has long studied the Las Vegas casino business. “They can decide to revoke the license. They can decide, no, that’s too much, there should be fines. There are executives who may be forced out. So they have some latitude here. And they’re always hesitant to go that far because you can’t be sure of the long-term effects.”
The commission did not immediately respond to a message after hours Thursday seeking comment on the timing of a decision.
Resorts World says it is in discussions with management to resolve the issues so it can focus on its guests and nearly 5,000 employees.
“We strive to conduct business with the utmost integrity and in accordance with applicable laws and industry guidelines,” a statement said.
The 31-page complaint alleges that Resorts World allowed Bowyer to play for 80 separate days over approximately 15 months, while repeatedly failing to verify his source of funding. Bowyer lost more than $6.6 million during that time, while the casino extended gifts, discounts and flights on his private jet, the complaint says.
Bowyer was banned from Resorts World on Oct. 6, 2023, after a federal warrant was executed to search his home. Prosecutors say Bowyer ran an illegal gambling business in Southern California and Las Vegas for at least five years, taking bets from more than 700 gamblers, including Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.
Diane Bass, Bowyer’s attorney, did not respond to a request for comment.
The complaint lists 12 charges against Resorts World, six of which relate to Bowyer. These include failing to distance themselves from suspected illegal bookmakers, failing to report suspected illegal bookings by casino hosts, and referring potential customers to suspected illegal bookmakers by hosts.
Other charges involved hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans to others with a history of convictions for illegal gambling or organized crime — one of whom was convicted of running an illegal gambling enterprise and another of a large-scale Internet gambling operation.
The complaint also alleges that Resorts World employees failed to report unusual or suspicious activity and violations of the anti-money laundering program to their supervisors. Members of the program committee acknowledged during the board’s investigation that Bowyer’s source of funding did not justify his level of play, the complaint says.
“This culture results in the perception and/or reality that Resorts World is a vehicle to launder funds generated from illegal activities and/or to facilitate criminal activities that harm the reputation of the State of Nevada and the Nevada gaming industry,” the board said in the complaint.
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Rio Yamat, an Associated Press editor in Las Vegas, contributed to this report.
