Accusations have deepened against Resorts World with the compliance process of the operator being brought under the microscope.
The case is unfolding further after it was found that former Resorts World President Scott Sibella, who resigned last October, pleaded guilty to money laundering charges during his previous tenure at MGM Resorts.
Sibella allowed known illegal bookie Wayne Nix to gamble at the property despite him being aware of Nix’s money-making operation.
The impact of that case continues to be felt however, and a myriad of other players could potentially be dragged in, with the Nevada Gaming Control Board now pursuing a disciplinary complaint against Resorts World Las Vegas and its parent and affiliated companies, as well as individuals working for the property.
Central to the allegations from the NGCB are key violations of the Nevada Gaming Control Act and the Nevada Gaming Commission’s regulations, as it claimed that AML standards simply weren’t met by the operator.
The NGCB has raised warnings that the environment at Resorts World had significant shortcomings in terms of its approach to compliance, becoming an entertainment destination with suspected or direct ties to illegal gambling businesses.
There are accusations that the environment at Resorts World enabled bookie Matthew Bowyer to use funds he had obtained through illegal activity.
Bowyer, who was charged with operating an illegal sports betting ring, agreed to plead guilty on 9 August to operating an unlawful gambling business, money laundering and subscribing to a false tax return for his role in the scheme.
Resorts World’s AML program underlines that it is essential for workers to report suspicious activity and any violations, but the NCGB alleges there was a complete disregard for regulations by the casino when it came to Bowyer and some associates.
There were several Resorts World executives, including Sibella, who had the unilateral authority to ban Bowyer but they allegedly turned a blind eye to his gambling.
The Bowyer case is one of a number of cases that Resorts World is in legal hot water over, with there also being a complaint filed by the NGCB that alleges Resorts World failed to bar, ban or restrict Edwin Ting, who ran an illegal gambling business. In 2014, Ting was sentenced to five months in prison in a New York federal court and ordered to forfeit $2m for running an illegal poker operation that used intimidation to collect debts from players who refused to pay.
