Legal Troubles Surface at Resorts World Las Vegas
Resorts World Las Vegas is currently embroiled in legal controversy following allegations involving racketeering and illegal gambling operations. This situation adds to a series of challenges the casino has encountered recently.
Details of the RICO Lawsuit
A federal lawsuit invoking the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) has been filed against former executives of Resorts World Las Vegas. The lengthy complaint, spanning 95 pages, was brought by high-stakes gambler Robert Cipriani and businessman James Russel. It accuses several former officials, including ex-president Scott Sibella and ex-vendor David Chesnoff, of engaging in a scheme that facilitated illegal bookmaking, laundering of funds, and tampering with witnesses.
The document highlights Cipriani’s prior efforts to alert authorities about potential money laundering activities within Nevada casinos, sparking multiple investigations and regulatory responses. These actions subsequently unveiled several alleged breaches of the RICO statute.
Specifically, the lawsuit claims that Sibella and Chesnoff played key roles in money laundering and other significant breaches of legal regulations, including attempts to intimidate witnesses and take retaliatory actions against Cipriani, who had previously sought legal recourse against Resorts World in 2024. That earlier suit, however, did not succeed in court.
Claims for Compensation and Injunctive Measures
Although Cipriani’s initial lawsuit did not prevail, regulators acknowledged that Anti-Money Laundering (AML) violations had indeed occurred. This acknowledgment resulted in a $10.5 million fine imposed on Resorts World and led to the dismissal of several of its executives…