Resorts World in Las Vegas has been fined $10.5 million for illegal gambling. Many of the allegations stem from ties to a bookmaker who took bets from the former interpreter of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the fine settles a complaint that the state Gaming Control Board filed last year. The complaint accused Resorts World of welcoming people with gambling-related felony convictions and ties to illegal bookmaking. The fine is the second largest ever issued by the Nevada Gaming Commission.
The settlement includes that Resorts World and its parent company neither admit nor deny the allegations. However, the casino agreed to change leadership and enforce stricter protocols to prevent money laundering in the future.
Most of the allegations mentioned Mathew Bowyer, a Southern California bookmaker. He was accused of accepting thousands of sports bets from Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. Bowyer pleaded guilty to running an illegal gambling business in federal court in Santa Ana, California.
It was reported that Resorts World allowed Bowyer to play 80 separate days over 15 months, during which time he lost over $6.6 million in bets. However, the casino extended gifts and flight discounts to Bowyer to lure him to continue betting at the resort.
Resorts World initially faced 12 counts, six of which related to Bowyer. The allegations included failing to distance themselves from suspected illegal bookmakers, reporting suspected illegal bookings, and referring prospective customers to illegal bookmakers.
Other counts involved crediting hundreds of thousands of dollars to individuals with criminal records, including illegal gambling and organized crime convictions.
Nevada Gambling Options
The state of Nevada and its most populous city, Las Vegas, are known as the gambling mecca of the United States. With casinos, sportsbooks, and poker rooms, many tourists visit Las Vegas yearly.
Online gambling options in Nevada include sports betting and poker. Domestic casinos are not allowed to accept bets online, as current gambling laws do not permit online casino games. However, some out-of-state online casinos do accept players from Nevada.
The state of Nevada has asked several big online casino brands to stop accepting players from their state, but other brands are continuing to accept NV players. To learn more about the online casino options for Nevada players in 2025, see our guide to online casino reviews for US players.