Updated August 6, 2023By Chris Boline
The federal government has set its sights on some former, and potentially current, casino employees in Las Vegas for misappropriating casino funds for decades. In a new report from the Nevada Current, federal law enforcement agents from California are investigating allegations that a number of Vegas hotel employees misused a variety of casino assets. This includes using casino funds to pay gambling debts and providing confidential customer data to an illegal gambling ring that operated for almost two decades, according to sources. In the same report, a state employee said federal agents have interviewed or taken statements from several former employees of the Nevada Gaming Control Board and specifically Resorts World President Scott Sibella.
For this article, SBS will be going over what to look for from the latest gaming news coming out of Las Vegas and also some more notes about Sin City wagering.
Gaming regulators in Nevada are aware of current allegations
According to the same article from the Current, reports from the GCB indicate regulators are indeed in the know on these allegations. They have said they are already being investigated by the feds and “they were already being looked at.” Federal agents, according to the same state employee, are investigating allegations hotel employees at MGM properties used comps and promo chips to pay off personal gambling debts to Wayne Nix and money owed to an illegal sports betting operation Nix admits he operated with a handful of others. Promo chips are free chips provided to high rollers. As the report notes, they are subject to limits and internal controls, which high-ranking executives often have the authority to override.
As the same article notes, the chips can then be “washed” in large amounts at the gaming tables by savvy gamblers and redeemed at the casino cage for cash. Some casinos have begun to phase out the use of promo chips in recent years because of the potential for abuse. According to one confidential source noted in the report, authorities are looking into whether hotel employees provided confidential customer data to Nix’s operation. This also includes them encouraging their customers to bet with the illegal ring, and receiving kickbacks when their players lost. A representative from the U.S. Department of Justice in Los Angeles had no comment on the matter as noted in the article.
As noted in the article, Sibella, Resorts World general counsel Gerald Gardner, and Rogich Communications, the hotel’s public relations company, did not respond to requests for comment. The investigation, according to the confidential source, is being conducted by Homeland Security and the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service. These same agencies have investigated Nix in the past and no charges have been filed. Last year, Nix entered guilty pleas to conspiring to run an illegal betting operation and filing false tax returns in which he failed to pay income tax on $1.5 million. Much of Nix’s case is sealed and it is unknown whether he is cooperating further with federal agents.
Just months ago, the GCB exonerated Sibella when gambler Brandon Sattler alleged the Resorts World president was aware a convicted illegal gambler had an ownership interest in a hotel concession. In a move out of keeping with GCB protocol, Governor Joe Lombardo’s newly-appointed GCB board member unilaterally announced the GCB had cleared Sibella of any wrongdoing when he testified. This case has other ongoing multiple elements that could be revealed quickly in the coming weeks per other sources.
Even more information about Las Vegas betting
After you are all squared away regarding the latest news and information coming from Las Vegas, make sure to tap into the wide variety of information that SBS has for you. For even more info on the topic at hand, our online Vegas sportsbooks guide has you covered with the latest gaming news and information coming from Sin City. Moreover, for those looking for some higher-end betting options, the SBS VIP sports betting sites rundown has you covered. Here you can find more information about VIP wagering and if it is the right fit for you. Finally, if you are trying to get the most out of your bets, then the SBS best bonus betting sites is a must-read page where you can find the latest welcome bonus offers.
About the Author
Chris Boline
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football in the Mountain West Conference, and basketball.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones.
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