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The Shohei Ohtani betting scandal rocked the world when the story broke a year ago. More news is coming out of the case — and it’s getting closer and closer to a case closed.
Of course, Ohtani wasn’t actually betting himself. It was his interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, who followed the star ball player from the Los Angeles Angels to Dodgers. But inbetween translating, Mizuhara was siphoning money from Ohtani and recklessly gambling (losing) it.
Mizuhara had his day in court already (we’ll remind you in case you’ve forgotten), but there was also a bookmaker and casino involved in the story. Not a robot dinky casino either, it was actually Resorts World Las Vegas. The hammer just came down on them. Keep reading and we’ll tell you what happened!
How Resorts World Ended Up In This Mess
How does a massive Las Vegas betting casino get involved in this story? After all, the interpreter was betting with a local California bookie. Of course, that’s illegal since California sports betting isn’t a thing yet (it’s one of 11 states without a legalized betting market). You can guess the issues both Mizuhara and the bookie ended up in, but Resorts World? What’s the deal?
It’s because one of the men at the center of Mizuhara’s downfall — Southern California bookie Mathew Bowyer — was a frequent and high-stakes guest at the casino. In fact, he gambled nearly $8 million over more than 80 visits.
Bowyer wasn’t just any guest. He was a known illegal bookmaker with a federal criminal record. But according to an ongoing investigation by the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB), Resorts World didn’t just fail to flag him — they increased his credit line from $5,000 to $1 million without verifying where his money was coming from. That’s not just a lapse in judgment. That’s a compliance failure, folks.
The NGCB filed a complaint earlier this year detailing what it called “unsuitable methods of operation” at the property. The casino, they said, allowed known or suspected criminals to operate freely, treating them like VIPs rather than red flags. One particularly damning detail: when Resorts World’s internal team raised questions about Bowyer’s source of funds, a discussion of his alleged bookmaking activity was removed from his file.
This was not a one-off issue. Regulators also cited another high roller — Damien Leforbes, a professional poker player now facing federal money laundering charges — who lost around $10 million at the same casino. In total, nearly $18 million passed through Resorts World from just two gamblers tied to criminal activity. So yes, that’s going to draw heat to the casino and heat it did bring, as we explain next.
Resorts World Fined Big Time For Failures
The punishment has come down on Resorts World, and it’s severe. Resorts World has agreed to pay a whopping $10.5 million fine — the second largest in Nevada history, behind only the $20 million levied against Wynn Resorts in 2019. The settlement also requires the casino to overhaul its internal practices. That includes:
- Mandatory anti-money laundering (AML) training for key employees
- Hiring additional compliance staff
- Keeping AML training records for at least five years
- Submitting regular compliance reports to the NGCB
- Annual third-party reviews of its AML program
- An independent audit two years after the agreement is finalized
In a statement, the casino said, “Resorts World Las Vegas has reached a pending settlement with the Nevada Gaming Control Board. We look forward to the Nevada Gaming Commission considering the settlement and ultimately resolving this matter.” Typical press release speak, but notice how they didn’t apologize for their lack of compliance.
We would say that means it’s bound to happen, but to be fair, there’s been a much-needed brain drain at the casino. The issues happened under president and COO Scott Sibella, who has since pleaded guilty in a separate federal case involving his own failure to report suspicious activity. Sibella was fired by Resorts World in September 2023, and is blackballed from the industry for now.
What’s funny is that Resorts World is getting hit with a less severe penalty than Mizuhara. He got 57 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay nearly $17 million in restitution to Ohtani, and another $1 million to the IRS for unpaid taxes. That’s almost double than what Resorts World will end up paying. Go figure!
Bookie Is Last To Await His Fate
The bookie who ran the illegal betting ring is the last man standing. The interpreter is in prison. Resort World has been fined. Bowyer though? He’s still waiting for sentencing after pleading guilty. Originally, he was supposed to be sentenced on April 4, but it was delayed until October 3 later this year.
“I would have preferred to get this over with, man,” Bowyer said. “I know people have told me that the longer the delay, the better for sentencing. It’s just the anxiety of the unknown that sucks.
The state of California will be in charge of punishing Bowyer since that’s where the betting ring was largely run from. It involved 700-plus clients, but Mizuhara was the most famous one. It’s believed $300 million flowed through the operation.
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