After issuing Resorts World Las Vegas a $10.5 million anti-money laundering fine last year – the second-largest fine in state history – the Nevada Gaming Control Board considered two matters related to the beleaguered casino Wednesday, one intended to provide closure for the scandal and another to help grow from it.
The board unanimously recommended the licensure of Michelle DiTondo, an accomplished human resources executive appointed to Resorts World’s new board of directors, and the banning of Mathew Bowyer, the convicted illegal bookmaker whose conduct inspired the AML fine and subsequent fallout.
Both items will now proceed to the Nevada Gaming Commission for consideration at its 29 January meeting. Bowyer has the option of requesting an evidentiary hearing before the commission, although he is currently serving a one-year federal prison sentence in California.
Resorts World was one of three Las Vegas Strip entities that faced multimillion-dollar AML fines in 2025 for their relationships with Bowyer. MGM Resorts ($8.5 million) and Caesars Entertainment ($7.8 million) were also punished, but their conduct was seen as less egregious.
Former Resorts World president Scott Sibella had his gaming licence revoked for his involvement in that case, which was the only individual-level action to arise from the three investigations. The casino had also hired Bowyer’s wife, Nicole, to be his personal host, which sparked additional scrutiny.
New board seen as key for Resorts World overhaul
The formation of a casino-level board has been a critical compliance initiative for Resorts World. In assessing the hefty penalty, investigators decried the lack of communication between the casino and its Malaysian parent company, Genting Berhad. Formed in late 2024, the board currently consists of:
- DiTondo, HR executive and consultant
- Chairman Brian Sandoval, president of the University of Nevada, Reno, and former Nevada governor
- AG Burnett, attorney and former chair of the NGCB
- Tan Kong Han, Genting CEO
Wednesday was DiTondo’s first-ever appearance before the NGCB, as she previously held senior HR roles for Caesars and MGM but never any gaming positions. She came to Resorts World via Jim Murren, the former MGM CEO who was the board’s first chairman upon inception. DiTondo worked at MGM for eight years under Murren and was chief HR officer during his tenure. Murren transitioned to an emeritus role to become interim CEO of the UAE’s gaming regulator late last year.
The newly implemented board is working to “ensure that we’re creating a culture of compliance, transparency and accountability on the property”, DiTondo said. Responsibilities are shared equally among members, including “reviewing strategic plans, providing guidance and asking questions”.
She detailed several new compliance and AML efforts and explained that senior audit and compliance personnel can meet directly with the board to ensure neutrality from management. The board also receives regular training updates in addition to performance metrics.
“We have hired leaders who are focused on creating a transparent culture, who immediately surface any concerns to the board,” DiTondo said. “I think we’ve hired the right leaders in those roles who have also held the leaders that report to them accountable.”
Murren, MGM connections abound
While DiTondo’s background and experience were applauded by regulators, the Resorts World board has not been free from controversy.
Murren’s involvement was scrutinised from the beginning. Some felt that his parallel connection to both a regulator and a casino constituted a conflict of interest, though he has since left the latter in favour of the former. Additionally, Murren’s tenure with MGM overlapped with the company’s misconduct related to Bowyer, and Sibella was also an MGM executive at the time. In addition to the state fine in 2025, MGM paid $7.45 million to federal authorities in 2024.
Even Murren’s choice of Sandoval to succeed him as Resorts World chair has raised eyebrows. Sandoval served as chair of the Nevada Gaming Commission in the early 2000s and eventually as governor of Nevada from 2011-2019. Immediately after his governorship ended, Sandoval was hired by Murren to be MGM’s president of global gaming development.
He then became University of Nevada, Reno, president in 2020 and has since struck a deal with Reno’s Grand Sierra Resort to use the casino’s new arena project for university athletics, free of charge. The university declined to comment on Sandoval’s role with the Resorts World board or his promotion to chair.
Turning the page on the Bowyer chapter
After DiTondo’s approval on Wednesday morning, the board assumed a more solemn tone for Bowyer’s banning later that afternoon. Anyone featured on the exclusion list, often referred to as the “black book”, is banned from entering licensed casinos in the state. Bowyer would become the 38th banned patron if confirmed by the commission.
Nona Lawrence, from the state’s Attorney General’s Office, laid out five criteria to support Bowyer’s exclusion:
- Felony convictions
- Conviction of crimes involving moral turpitude
- Conviction of crimes violating California gaming law
- Willful evasion of taxes
- Notorious or unsavoury reputation bad for licensed gaming
She gave a comprehensive overview of Bowyer’s misconduct, which spanned several years and multiple operators. Notably, she also detailed the rise of Bowyer’s media career after his arrest, which would seem to undercut his penitence. This includes a best-selling memoir, a podcast and several high-profile media interviews about his escapades.
“Mr Bowyer may be one of the most media-exposed illegal bookmakers in the country,” Lawrence surmised.
Bowyer has been a staple in regulatory discussions for well over a year due to his array of connections to various cases. His exclusion is essentially a formality by now, but members sought to recognise the significance of turning the page.
“I think it’s important to note that today the board takes an action that goes to the very core and heart of Nevada’s gaming regulatory mission: the protection of integrity of gaming, the confidence of the public and the reputation of this state as the gold standard for gaming regulation,” NGCB Chair Mike Dreitzer said.
‘We can clean up our own dirty laundry’
Board member George Assad, in his remarks, went a step further. He addressed the topic of state versus federal oversight, as the board has faced immense scrutiny for pursuing the AML investigations only after they were unearthed by federal authorities.
In recent years, there has been increasing momentum to enact more federal frameworks for gaming. This is especially true in light of sports betting expansion and related scandals, including Bowyer’s. Nevada’s gaming stakeholders, however, have steadily rejected any notion of federalisation dating back to its years as the lone state in the US with legal casinos.
In one example last year, MGM CEO Bill Hornbuckle stated that his biggest concern with sports prediction markets is that they invite “the federal government into a space it’s never been, and it’s not a place we’d like to see this marketplace go”.
Assad said on Wednesday that the exclusion and AML fines send a “strong message to the federal government, federal politicians that we can clean up our own dirty laundry, and there’s no pun intended there”.
Jess Marquez
Jess has covered the global gaming industry since 2022. A native of Reno, Nevada, he’d like to note that it’s Ne-va-da, not Ne-VAH-da.
2025 was a rough year for Resorts World Las Vegas and state regulators who are now hoping to prevent any sequels.