Nevada gaming regulators voted to fine Caesars Palace $7.8 million on Thursday for failing to comply with anti-money laundering rules, settling a case centered on… Illegal betting With ties to the former translator of baseball star Shohei Ohtani.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board alleged that Caesars Palace failed to verify the source of bookmaker Matthew Boyer’s funds as he bet millions of dollars between 2017 and 2024, despite suspicions raised on several occasions and an anonymous tip that Boyer was a bookmaker.
It is the third casino to be fined at least in part in connection with Boyer’s activity; A fine of $10.5 million was imposed Resorts World The casino earlier this year was the second largest ever from the gaming board.
Caesars executives said their systems for detecting such behavior had failed.
“No customer deserves illicit profits. We did not arrest Boyer and should have done so,” Tom Rigg, CEO of Caesars Entertainment, said at Thursday’s hearing.
Boyer pleaded guilty to federal charges in 2024, which included running an illegal gambling business and money laundering. Prosecutors said Boyer took bets from hundreds of people, including… Ohtani’s former translator, Ibi Mizuhara.
Mizuhara – who translated for the Japanese athlete – was sentenced in federal court earlier this year to… Five years in prison Charged with bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly $17 million from Ohtani’s bank account.
The settlement between Caesars Palace and the Gaming Control Board includes requirements for the casino company to better ensure compliance with anti-money laundering laws, including more training for employees.
“The way our (anti-money laundering) program worked in this case was unacceptable,” Gary Carano, CEO of Caesars Entertainment, said at the hearing. “We will do our best to prevent this from happening in front of you again.”
Earlier this year, MGM Resorts International was fined $8.5 million for actions involving Bowyer and another bookmaker, the Nevada Independent reported.
MGM Resorts International and Resorts World did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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