MGM Resorts International is on the cusp of a settlement with the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB), based on which terms, the hospitality and gaming major will pay $8.5m for alleged transgressions as well as implement a number of remedial steps.
Latest enforcement action in Las Vegas targets MGM Resorts International
The NGCB has accused the company of inadequate measures in its AML program and further alleged that MGM Resorts International "facilitated" two illegal bookmakers, one Wayne Nix and Mathew Bowyer, both of whom have been accused of conducting unlawful activities at the casino. The regulator explained:
"The complaint’s allegations center on the actions and failures of [MGM] employees in relation to Mr Nix and Mr Bowyer, as well as deficiencies within the anti-money laundering program."
The settlement is still not in force, as it has to first be debated by the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) at its upcoming meeting on Thursday, April 2025. In a regulatory notice from last week, the NGCB has specified that Nix was allowed to gamble and allegedly "launder" cash at The Cosmopolitan and MGM Grand, both owned by MGM Resorts International.
The accusation, however, is even more damning, as it suggests that some casino hosts were in cahoots with one of the illegal bookmakers, Bowyer, and were allegedly steering clients from the MGM Sportsbook to Bowyer’s own operation.
For the settlement to be enforceable and valid, MGM Resorts International has also agreed to undertake remedial measures implemented at all properties owned by the casino and hospitality major. The bulk of these new measures will focus almost exclusively on AML and training staffers to be better equipped to detect instances of money laundering.
This is a second huge blow against a Las Vegas casino property in the past several weeks. Previously, Resorts World Las Vegas faced a similar regulatory ordeal and agreed to settle for $10.5m with the NGCB.
NGCB proved capable of running complicated investigations years ago
The NGCB targeted the company over failure to uphold AML laws and further noted that Resorts World Las Vegas did not adequately fulfill its responsibilities as a Nevada gaming license.
Meanwhile, the investigation into the illegal bookmakers dates back to 2015 when Nix and Bowyer first appeared at the MGM-owned properties, suggesting that the NGCB is capable of detecting past transgressions with ease.
This case follows on a previous complaint by the NGCB against former MGM Grand President Scott Sibella, whom the regulator accused of not properly overseeing operations at the MGM Grand and The Cosmopolitan, particularly in relation to what the watchdog described as illegal gambling and the mishandling of large amounts of money. Sibella had his gaming license suspended in the Silver State.
