RENO, 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.”