Former President of Resorts World Las Vegas Scott Sibella, fired last Sep. after overseeing the unveiling of the $4.3bn hotel, is facing substantial fines and possible other penalties after the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) filed a three-count complaint against the former executive. In Jan. of this year, prosecutors announced that Sibella had pleaded guilty in US District Court on failure to report suspicious transactions required of casinos.
The new complaint, however, relates to when Sibella was President of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. According to the complaint, Sibella violated federal anti-money laundering compliance programs when he gave authorization to MGM casino marketing representatives allowing alleged illegal bookmaker Wayne Nix to gamble millions of dollars and pay any debt accrued in cash.
“Sibella failed to comply with MGM Resorts International’s anti-money laundering policy and failed to comply with MGM Grand’s internal controls that required Sibella to report suspicious activities regarding Nix,” the NGCB wrote in the complaint.
MGM Grand and The Cosmopolitan were fined $7.45m combined due to the actions of former employees and the failures of its anti-money laundering compliance programs.
In Feb. 2023, the NGCB actually ended its investigation into Sibella that began almost a year prior, allowing him to obtain a limited license by state gaming regulators before Resorts World opened. The NGCB stated at the time his license application and investigation hadn’t been completed. After a background and character search revealed no further suspicion, Sibella was given his full gaming license a year later. The declaration was considered unordinary at the time as the NGCB typically reserves any investigation until a complaint is filed.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8 according to the complaint, facing up to five years in prison. Both Sibella's attorney and prosecutors have asked that he receive a year of probation and a fine of nearly $10k. The complaint was signed by all three control board members and filed at the end of Apr. 2024.
