Much like Al Capone being taken down on tax charges, Sibella argued that his punishment was largely symbolic. At one point he asserted that California federal authorities wanted to “send a message” by making him the example. His position, he said, made him “an easy target” and he is “taking a massive hit” for casino executives across Las Vegas. He remains the only individual to be sentenced in a far-reaching illegal wagering scandal so far.

“To my knowledge, no hotel president has ever filed a SAR (suspicious activity report),” he said. “It was always left up to compliance…You don’t have to take my word for it. You only have to look and see that since the investigation into these issues, MGM Resorts 86’d many bookmakers that had been gambling in its casinos, some of them for over 20 years.”

In the end, the item was mostly a formality in that the commission simply finalised legwork that had largely been completed by the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB). Commissioners offered little commentary and approved the motion unanimously, with the exception of commissioner Abbi Silver. She recused herself from the vote due a longstanding friendship with Sibella.

The item lasted about 20 minutes in total and Sibella joined via Zoom due to travel restrictions under his parole.

Sibella’s Nevada gaming licence is now revoked and he will pay a fine of $10,000 (£7,955/€9,588). Technically, he could appeal the revocation in as soon as five years. But given the offenses he admitted to, no operator or regulator would sign off on a return to the industry for the 62-year-old. Thursday’s hearing was in some ways an unceremonious retirement.

“I hope this does give you the closure necessary to heal and move forward,” commissioner Brian Krolicki solemnly offered before the vote was cast.

2 casinos paid fine, not prosecuted

In the aftermath of the investigation, the MGM Grand and the Cosmopolitan paid a combined $7.5 million as part of a non-prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice. Sibella’s statement also made clear that he himself was not involved in Nix’s bookmaking business.

“Although we did make a few gentleman bets, there was never a (vigorish),” he said. “I did not have an account with Mr. Nix, I was not a customer. I did not procure customers for him and I did not authorize any comps that he did not otherwise earn through his gambling activities within MGM guidelines. Nor did I ever authorize Mr. Nix to be allowed to pay his markers with cash. I had no knowledge of how or when he paid his markers.”

Nix is currently awaiting sentencing, which is set for 26 March 2025.

Statement largely pointed finger at MGM

All of Sibella’s legal and regulatory troubles stemmed from a single incident that is part of an overarching scandal. In July 2018, he was serving as president and chief operating officer of MGM Grand when Wayne Nix, an illegal bookmaker, paid a marker at the casino with $120,000 in cash. Such a transaction should’ve prompted an SAR. Sibella did not file one, and that is what ultimately did him in.

In May, Sibella was sentenced to a year of probation and fined $9,600 for the offense in California federal court. That plea agreement said Sibella “was aware that Nix engaged in illegal bookmaking” but turned a blind eye for fear of losing his action. In his prepared statement before the commission Thursday, Sibella largely attributed any wrongdoing to MGM.

“I never attended a compliance meeting or had any input with the compliance committee at MGM whatsoever,” he said. “In fact, I was never given any forms that I could fill out to make a report to compliance if it had been necessary. I was only told to discuss with my superiors, which I did many times.”

He said he first met Nix while on VIP golf trips arranged by MGM. Nix had reportedly “already been well-established at MGM Resorts for almost three years” and “gambled on credit given to him by the MGM Resorts credit department.” Because of this, Sibella assumed “he would have been vetted for his occupation and credited by both the credit department and compliance.”

Scandal reaches far beyond Sibella incident

The incident that led to Sibella’s demise is but one piece of a far-reaching scandal. After his tenure at MGM, he went on to become president and COO of Resorts World Las Vegas. That casino is also implicated in anti-money laundering violations related to illegal bookmakers. Sibella was abruptly fired from the casino last September for “violating company policy.”

Since then, the NGCB has opened an investigation and revealed violations by Resorts World.

Mathew Bowyer, another illegal bookie connected to Nix, was discovered to have frequented Resorts World and laundered his illicit proceeds there. A lot of those proceeds came from Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for MLB star Shohei Ohtani.

Mizuhara earlier this year was convicted of stealing $17 million from Ohtani to pay debts owed to Bowyer. Resorts World also hired Bowyer’s wife, Nicole, to be his personal host and therefore profit off of his gambling. All told, Bowyer was said to have had over 700 clients in his bookmaking operation. His sentencing is set for 7 February 2025.

“I have spent my entire career dedicated to the gaming industry and the betterment of Las Vegas,” Sibella said Thursday. “I have sat on various boards and committees all to improve the Las Vegas community … Once I was celebrated but now I’m a pariah. Casino executive friends and colleagues won’t even reach out to me. I have caused my family to suffer and I am pained by the knowledge that I have to leave the industry that I love.”

Prior to the vote, commissioner George Markantonis offered Sibella a sombre rebuke to his MGM colleagues: “Quite frankly, they let you down sir.”

Resorts World still in hot water

With Sibella out of the picture, Resorts World still faces steep penalties. The casino was given a 9 December deadline to respond to a 12-count complaint from the NGCB. That response has not been made public.

On 6 December, the casino announced a slew of leadership changes. It established a new board of directors and named Alex Dixon as its new CEO. The board will be chaired by Jim Murren, former chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts when Sibella worked there. Coincidentally, Dixon also worked for the company at the time.

According to reporting from the Nevada Current, Murren was aware of accusations against Sibella and others as early as 2019. Resorts World has not commented on Murren’s appointment.