Casino Operator MGM Resorts Faces $8.5 Million Penalty in Nevada for Granting Unlawful Sports Betting Access
Unbridled Rewrite
Let's dive into the nitty-gritty of the recent Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) slap on MGM Resorts International's wrist. They've handed 'em an $8.5m fine for flubbing up AML (Anti-Money Laundering) procedures and tolerating illegal gambling joints in their swanky Las Vegas casinos.
Last Friday, MGM Resorts International issued a statement, asserting, "We take our duties and compliance responsibilities with grave seriousness and collaborated snugly with the Nevada Gaming Control Board to resolve this matter."
A 29-page gripe against MGM points fingers at the MGM Grand and The Cosmo, specifically their then-boss man Scott Sibella and a couple of casino hounds, for not just permitting, but actively egging on former minor league baseball player Wayne Nix to gamble and run his clandestine gambling racket at the casino. This shenanigans went down from 2015 to 2018.
Nix ran his illicit gambling empire predominantly online. But when he wasn't glued to his computer, he'd jet from his Cali crib to Vegas with stacks of cash from his shady business. He'd park these green bundles at MGM casinos and occasionally conduct deals in person.
Sibella and the casino mavens spoiled Nix rotten. They doled out free grub, lodging, and golf getaways with high-ranking execs to motivate the dude to keep patronizing the casino and splash his dubious earnings.
Eight of the ten counts directed by the NGCB at MGM centered around Nix. The remaining one targeted Illegal bookmaker Matthew Bowyer, the dude who allegedly swindled $17m from slugger Shohei Ohtani's pockets, thanks to Ippei Mizuhara, his interpreter and former Los Angeles Dodgers' translator.
The $8.5m fine is the fourth-biggest the NGCB has ever slapped on a culprit. The meatiest, a hefty $20m, was slammed against Wynn Resorts in 2019 for a sexual harassment accusation against the company's founder, Steve Wynn.
- The latest news in general-news outlets has highlighted the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) imposing an $8.5m fine on MGM Resorts International for allegedly disregarding Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations and tolerating illegal gambling activities within their Las Vegas casinos.
- In a statement, MGM Resorts International acknowledged the fine and emphasized their commitment to maintaining compliance with the NGCB's regulations while addressing the matter.
- The NGCB's investigation has accused MGM of overlooking illegal activities, particularly at the MGM Grand and The Cosmo, where former minor league baseball player Wayne Nix was allowed to gamble and run his gambling empire from 2015 to 2018.
- The investigation also implicated former casino executive Scott Sibella and other casino-games operators for reportedly supporting and encouraging Nix's gambling activities, in exchange for his continued patronage and gambling earnings.
- In the casino-culture of Las Vegas, Nix, despite his questionable source of income, was showered with complementary food, lodging, and golf getaways by the casino-and-gambling industry.
- Though eight out of the ten counts against MGM concerned Nix's gambling activities, the tenth count involves Matthew Bowyer, an alleged illegal bookmaker, who is accused of defrauding $17m from baseball star Shohei Ohtani with Ippei Mizuhara, his former Los Angeles Dodgers' translator, playing a role in the crime-and-justice case.
