Former casino executive Scott Sibella, who was the president and chief operating officer of Resorts World Las Vegas until September 2023, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to federal charges related to an illegal sports betting ring.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, Sibella admitted that he failed to file suspicious activity reports (SARs) while he was employed at MGM Grand from 2010 to 2019, as required by anti-money laundering laws. Sibella was aware that some of his customers were involved in an illegal gambling business operated by Wayne Nix, a former minor league baseball player who recruited former and current professional athletes as bookies and clients.
Nix pleaded guilty in April 2022 to running the illegal gambling business and to filing a false tax return. He agreed to pay back taxes and interest of $1.25 million and to forfeit $1.3 million seized from his bank account. He is scheduled to be sentenced in March 2024 and faces up to eight years in prison.
Sibella, who spent eight years as the president of MGM Grand before joining Resorts World in 2019, faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for his role in the scheme. He is expected to be sentenced in June 2024.
In a statement issued through his attorneys, Sibella said he took full responsibility for his actions and inactions, but denied that he benefited personally from the illegal gambling business. He also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its professionalism and expressed his pride in his 35-year career in the gaming industry.
Sibella was fired from Resorts World in September 2023, after the company learned that he violated its policies and the terms of his employment contract. The company did not specify the nature of the violations, but they were reportedly related to the federal investigation into the illegal gambling ring. Peter LaVoie, the former senior vice president and chief financial officer of Resorts World, was named as the new CEO of the $4.3 billion resort that opened in June 2021.
