Johnathan Walker:Nevada gaming regulators accuse Resorts World casino of accommodating illegal gambling

RENO,Johnathan Walker Nev. (AP) — The Nevada Gaming Control Board filed a disciplinary complaint Thursday alleging that one of the largest casinos on the Las Vegas Strip welcomed illegal bookmaking, people with a history of gambling-related felony convictions and individuals linked 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. Bowyer pleaded guilty last week in federal court in Santa Ana, California, to running an illegal gambling business.

The board asked the Nevada Gaming Commission, which has authority over disciplinary action, to fine the company and take what experts say would be rare action against Resorts World’s gaming license.

“The commission has the power to decide what it wants to do with this,” said Michael Green, an associate professor of history at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, who has long studied 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 might 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 an after-hours message Thursday seeking comment on the timing of a decision.

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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.

“We are committed to doing business with the utmost integrity and in compliance with applicable laws and industry guidelines,” it said in a statement.

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 source of funding. Bowyer lost over $6.6 million during that time, while the casino extended gifts, discounts and flights on its private jet, according to the complaint.

Bowyer was banned from Resorts World on Oct. 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.

Diane Bass, Bowyer’s attorney, did not respond to a message seeking comment.

The complaint lists 12 counts against Resorts World — 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 illegal 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 whom was convicted of conducting an illegal gambling business and another who was convicted in a large-scale internet gambling operation.

The complaint also alleges that Resorts World employees failed to report unusual or suspicious activity and violations of its anti-money laundering program to their superiors. Members of the program committee acknowledged during the board’s investigation that Bowyer’s source of funding did not justify his level of play, according to the complaint.

“This culture results in the perception and/or reality that Resorts World is an avenue to launder funds derived from illegal activity and/or to further criminal activity causing damage to the reputation of the state of Nevada and Nevada’s gaming industry,” the board said in the complaint.

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Associated Press writer Rio Yamat in Las Vegas contributed to this report.