Resorts World Las Vegas has announced the appointment of new leadership.

In the midst of an NGCB investigation, Resorts World Las Vegas has announced the appointment of new leadership.

 Resorts World Las Vegas has announced the appointment of a new CEO and the establishment of a new board of directors in anticipation of the subsequent phase of a money laundering investigation by Nevada regulators.
 Building of Resorts World Las Vegas
 On December 5, both announcements were made through a press release.  Jim Murren, the former chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts, will serve as the chairman of the newly formed board.  Murren is also the current chair of the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

 Additional council members will consist of:

 • AG Burnett, former chair of the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) and partner at McDonald Carano; • Michelle DiTondo, principal at Avion Consulting; • Kong Han Tan, president and COO of Genting Berhad, the parent company of Resorts World.
 Resorts World also appointed Alex Dixon as its new CEO, in addition to the board.  Dixon, a native of Las Vegas, most recently served as the CEO of the Dubuque Racing Association and Q Casino & Resort in Dubuque, Iowa.

 Murren, Dixon, and DiTondo all have connections to MGM Resorts, having worked there during the same period in the late 2010s. This is particularly noteworthy.  Dixon is scheduled to commence his tenure on 16 January, and the board members assumed their positions on 4 December.  Genting CEO Kok Thay Lim expressed his confidence in the new leadership's ability to "further the company's strategic objectives for years to come" in the media release.

 Resorts World reported a $177 million revenue (£139 million/€167.6 million) and $16 million EBITDA in the third quarter.  Those figures represented an 18% and 68% decrease from the previous quarter, respectively.

 The announcement is made just days before the deadline for the NGCB response.
 The new leadership appointments occur at a critical juncture for Resorts World.  The NGCB has filed a 12-count complaint against the casino, which is currently involved in a money laundering scandal.  A formal response is required by December 9th.

 Resorts World is accused of welcoming "individuals with suspected and actual ties to illegal bookmaking" and organised crime, according to the 31-page complaint that was initially lodged on 15 August.  The board cited this as an example of a "overall lack of control."

 Subsequently, the board has advised the Nevada Gaming Commission to implement formal measures against the facility.  This could be accomplished by imposing penalties, suspending licenses, or subjecting the property to state supervision.

 Bowyer and Sibella are embroiled in a scandal.
 Mathew Bowyer, an unlawful bookie from California, is one of the individuals at the centre of the scandal. He has wagered millions at Resorts World since its inception in 2021.  Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for MLB sensation Shohei Ohtani, prompted Bowyer to take action.

 Mizuhara is currently awaiting sentencing for stealing approximately $17 million from Ohtani to satisfy debts owed to Bowyer. Bowyer laundered the money through accounts at Resorts World and California's Pechanga Resort Casinos.  Additionally, Resorts World employed Bowyer's wife, Nicole, to serve as his personal presenter.  He is scheduled for sentencing on April 4, 2025, and is at risk of serving up to 18 years in prison.

 Scott Sibella, who served as the president and chief operating officer of Resorts World from 2019 to 2023, is another significant figure.  He was terminated in September of last year for violating company policy following the disclosure that the property was under investigation.

 In May, he entered a plea of guilty to anti-money laundering (AML) violations that were the result of his tenure as president of MGM Grand.  He was fined $9,500 and sentenced to one year of probation.  He allegedly permitted Wayne Nix, another renowned illegal bookie, to pay a $120,000 marker in cash at MGM Grand without submitting a suspicious transaction report.

 Murren was still employed at MGM at the time of Sibella's misconduct.  Murren was informed of these allegations as early as 2019, according to the Nevada Current.  Resorts World declined to provide an explanation for the association.