Caesars Entertainment recently agreed to pay a $7.8 million settlement with the Nevada Gaming Control Board over a money laundering complaint.
Regulators at the NGCB allege that Matthew Bowyer, an illegal bookmaker, ran “unsuitable” activities inside Caesars’ properties, thereby violating Nevada’s money laundering laws.
The NGCB complaint details nine “cash front” deposits of almost $4.5 million at Caesars properties. Seven of those occurred at Caesars Palace. The commission reported that Bowyer lost money at the casinos and then claimed the losses on his taxes.
Latest Bowyer-Related Fines At LV Casinos
The 50-year-old bookie pleaded guilty to several gambling-related crimes in 2024. Those included counts of running an illegal gambling business, money laundering, and filing a false tax return. He received a year and one day in prison and must pay $1.6 million in restitution to the IRS.
Regulators say that Caesars’ relationship with Bowyer dates back to 2017. Furthermore, the company’s file on him said that his source of funds couldn’t be determined. Transactions at Caesars properties then continued through 2021, according to the NGCB.
As part of the agreement, Caesars will not only pay the fine, but also work to strengthen the company’s anti-money laundering procedures. That will include additional training of workers.
The commission will vote on the agreement in a Nov. 20 meeting in Las Vegas. Bowyer has been at the center of other regulatory actions against other Las Vegas casinos. That included the NGCB levying a $10.5 million fine against Resorts World in March and MGM Resorts agreeing to an $8.5 million fine in April.
Wynn also agreed to a $5.5 million fine. In total, Las Vegas casinos paid more than $32 million for taking Bowyers’ bets.
In May, the Nevada Gaming Commission inadvertently announced that the Fountainbleau was also being investigated for similar issues. According to the Nevada Current, the casino allegedly issued a $2 million marker in January 2024 to Damien LeForbes, another illegal bookmaker that has been at the center of similar allegations.
“All the casinos that took DJ LeForbes’ and Matt Bowyer’s action are being investigated by GCB,” professional gambler and a whistleblower in some of these cases RJ Cipriani told the Current in May.
