Settlement with gaming regulators kicks ex-Strip executive Sibella out of industry
A settlement with Nevada gaming regulators effectively ended the career of Scott Sibella, the longtime gaming executive who was fired 14 months ago as president of Resorts World Las Vegas and was later charged by federal prosecutors in a major money laundering case.
The settlement, filed late Thursday by the Gaming Control Board, includes a $10,000 penalty to cover investigative costs and would revoke Sibella’s Nevada gaming license and his finding of suitability as a licensee if approved by the Nevada Gaming Commission. A date for the hearing was not scheduled.
Also, Sibella would be placed on the agency’s list of denials, revocations and findings of unsuitability — which comes with a five-year ban from applying to re-enter Nevada’s gaming industry. The designation is referred to as the “Gray List.”
The settlement comes eight months after the control board filed a three-count complaint against Sibella following his guilty plea in a Los Angeles federal court for violating the Bank Secrecy Act in connection with a sprawling, ongoing federal illegal bookmaking investigation from when he was president of the MGM Grand Las Vegas in 2018.
Sibella pleaded guilty to the charge of violating federal anti-money laundering laws by authorizing MGM casino marketing representatives to allow Wayne Nix, an alleged illegal bookmaker and former minor league baseball player, to gamble millions of dollars at the casino and pay his debts in cash.
Sibella avoided prison time but will be on probation for a year and was fined $9,500.
Sibella’s settlement with the control board over the MGM matter is separate from the 12-count disciplinary complaint filed in August by the control board against the owners and operators of Resorts World Las Vegas for allegedly failing to comply with federal anti-money laundering laws by allowing known illegal bookmakers to gamble millions of dollars at the Strip resort for more than a year.
Much of the illegal activity occurred when Sibella was president of the Strip property.
The hotel-casino and its Malaysia-based owner, Genting Berhad, were named in the 31-page filing, with regulators seeking an undisclosed but likely multimillion-dollar fine and action against the owners and operators.
The settlement with gaming regulators over Sibella’s activity comes a week after Genting hired a new CEO and created a board of directors to oversee the Strip hotel-casino.
Longtime gaming industry executive Jim Murren will be chairman of a four-person board overseeing the 3,500-room property that opened in June 2021. Gaming industry veteran Alex Dixon, a native of Las Vegas, was named CEO. Dixon most recently served as CEO at Q Casino & Resort and Dubuque Racing Association in Dubuque, Iowa.
Also last week, Resorts World posted its worst financial quarter in three years.