A former Las Vegas casino executive Scott Sibella was sentenced to a one-year probation and a $9,500 fine on Wednesday for not reporting an illegal bookmaker’s high-stakes gambling.
A California federal court ruled in accordance with the prosecution’s recommendation and also ordered Sibella, the former president of MGM Grand and Resorts World, to do 200 hours of community service.
Sibella pleaded guilty to one count of failing to file reports of suspicious transactions required by casinos under the Bank Secrecy Act in January.
Sibella admitted knowing that Wayne Nix, a former Major League Baseball player, ran an illegal bookmaker operation.
The Department of Justice said Nix, who took big-money bets from high-profile athletes, gambled millions of dollars at the MGM Grand, Aria, and The Mirage and paid the debts back in cash.
Letters of support
Sibella’s attorneys and the prosecution were seeking leniency with the charge. He had dozens of support letters from various sources, including former college basketball coach Lon Kruger, Circa Sportsbook manager Nick Bogdonavich, and ex-San Francisco 49ers president Carmen Policy.
“This one mistake should not define an incredible man and his extraordinary career,” Bogdanovich wrote. “It should not erase thirty years of hard work and immense dedication to serving Las Vegas."
Other executives and the Las Vegas sheriff also supported Sibella, and his lawyers highlighted his clean record with Nevada gaming regulators.
VIP treatment
Nix received VIP treatment from Sibella and attended events presented by the former executive, the DOJ found.
“Not only did Sibella allow Nix to gamble at the casino, he also authorized Nix to receive complimentary benefits at the casino, including meals, room, board, and golf trips with senior executives and other high net-worth customers of the casinos to further encourage Nix to patronize the casino and/or other affiliated properties,” the DOJ said in the statement.
The illegal bookmaker wagered over $4 million at the then-owned MGM casinos.
Sibella awarded Nix a $120,000 casino marker that Nix later paid back in cash.
Nix pled guilty to conspiring to operate an illegal sports gambling business and filing a false tax return. He’s yet to be sentenced.
More investigations
Sibella led MGM Grand until 2019 when he left to take the same position at Resorts World, which terminated his employment in 2023.
The DOJ’s investigation into Nix found that MGM Grand and Cosmopolitan, another Las Vegas casino, violated money laundering laws and the Bank Secrecy Act. The casinos agreed to pay $7.45 million in a settlement.
Resorts World is also at the center of another DOJ investigation. Illegal bookmaker Matthew Bowyer, a former high roller at the casino, used an associate to collect multiple $500,000 payments made at Resorts World from Ippei Mazuhara, the former interpreter of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. Mazuhara stole more than $16 million from Ohtani to pay off gambling debts to Bowyer.
