Ex MGM, Genting Exec Scott Sibella Might Lose Gaming License in Betting Scandal
Former Resorts World Las Vegas and MGM Grand president Scott Sibella is now the topic of a criticism by the Nevada Gaming Management Board (NGCB). The three-count formal criticism, filed Tuesday, alleges Sibella allowed unlawful bookies to gamble giant on the MGM Grand with out questioning the supply of their funds.
Scott Sibella, above, invited bookies Wayne Nix and Matt Bowyer to his Scott Sibella Undercover Weekends, VIP-only occasions impressed by his look on CBS actuality present Undercover Boss. (Picture: Fox Information)
Sibella, who was fired by Resorts World in September 2023 for violating firm coverage, pleaded responsible in January to a federal cost of violating the Financial institution Secrecy Act in relation to the identical allegation. He’s scheduled to be sentenced subsequent week.
The NGCB initially fumbled the ball on the Sibella case. Introduced with info of his hyperlinks to bookies, the regulator cleared the on line casino government final 12 months, discovering the allegations to be “unsubstantiated.”
Investigation Widens
Having missed a trick, the NGCB has now joined a sprawling federal investigation into the potential laundering of proceeds from unlawful bookmaking at Las Vegas casinos. This has widened to incorporate Matt Bowyer, who acquired $16 million from the checking account of Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, allegedly stolen by Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizhura.
The primary depend of the NGCB criticism in opposition to Sibella alleges he didn’t file a suspicious transaction report (STR) in 2018 when bookie Wayne Nix paid a marker on the MGM Grand with $120K in money.
Sibella was president of the on line casino on the time and later admitted to federal brokers he didn’t need to ask in regards to the supply of the funds as a result of he knew he must cease Nix from playing.
The second depend alleges he allowed Nix to gamble regardless of realizing that the supply of his funds got here from unlawful bookmaking. The third alleges he violated MGM Resorts anti-money laundering (AML) protocols by committing the primary two offenses. The criticism may end in Sibella dropping his gaming license and paying a positive of as much as $750K.
Nix, a former minor league baseball pitcher who offered unlawful bookmaking to skilled gamers of a number of sports activities, has pleaded responsible to unlawful playing and is awaiting sentencing.
Scott Sibella’s ‘Undercover Weekends’
On the MGM Grand, Sibella periodically hosted “Scott Sibella Undercover Weekends.” These had been invite-only occasions for VIP gamblers, so known as due to his 2011 look on the CBS present Undercover Boss. Each Nix and Bowyer had been invited to those occasions as Sibella’s visitors, in keeping with the criticism.
Nix was additionally comped golf journeys with senior executives, which aimed to encourage him to proceed playing on the on line casino.
Ohtani’s Cash Filtered By Casinos
An investigation by ESPN, printed Tuesday, discovered that the cash wired from Ohtani’s checking account ended up at casinos in Las Vegas and California, together with Resorts World.
Sources instructed ESPN that Mizhura wired the cash to an affiliate of Bowyer who would ahead it to his marker accounts at Resorts World and Northern California’s Pechanga On line casino. The lads withdrew the funds in chips, gambled with them, and cashed out what was left.
Bowyer misplaced $7.9 million at Resorts World from June 2022 to October 2023, in keeping with ESPN sources.
