Three Gamblers Lose $24M Total at Las Vegas Casino
Posted on: May 22, 2024, 02:14h.
Last updated on: May 22, 2024, 02:51h.
Three visitors lost a total of almost $24M at Resorts World Las Vegas over just a few years, according to the Nevada Current. Each of the trio is reportedly under investigation.
One of the gamblers was identified as Damien LeForbes. He lost about $12.3M in close to 50 visits to Resorts World, the Current reported. LeForbes also reportedly presented a bad check for $2.5M to Resorts World, according to the Current.
In addition, Ryan Boyajian, who appears on the “Real Housewives of Orange County” TV show, lost some $3.7M at Resorts World. Boyajian went to the casino 21 times.
The third gambler who visited Resorts World was identified as Matt Bowyer, a California-based bookmaker. He reportedly visited Resorts World 32 times, losing $7.9M between 2022 and 2023, ESPN reported.
None of Three Charged
Bowyer, Boyajian, and LeForbes haven’t been charged with any crime, according to the Current.
Bowyer is also reportedly connected to the theft of money from Los Angeles Dodgers star player Shohei Ohtani by Ippei Mizuhara, who formerly worked as a translator for the Japanese star. Some of the money Mizuhara paid to Bowyer made its way to Boyajian. Eventually, the cash was deposited in an account at Resorts World, ESPN reported.
The money was turned into gambling chips, the report said and, after the chips were cashed, the money went to Bowyer or his associate, according to ESPN.
Mizuhara allegedly stole almost $17M from a bank account belonging to Ohtani and is heavily in debt due to gambling losses. In total, Mizuhara racked up debts estimated at $40.7M. He was fired by the Dodgers after the theft was revealed.
He agreed to a plea deal in response to fraud allegations and faces up to 33 years in prison if he’s convicted, according to ESPN. Mizuhara was charged with single counts of bank fraud and submitting a false tax return. It was revealed that he never gambled at Resorts World, according to an internal casino memo obtained by Casino.org.
Ohtani has never been accused of wrongdoing in the scandal and is seen as a victim.
Resorts World hasn’t been charged with any violations, the Current reported.
A spokesperson for the casino declined to comment when reached by Casino.org on Wednesday. The casino previously stated it’s cooperating with investigators.
Vegas Casinos Under Review
Multiple gaming properties in Las Vegas are being investigated for possible money laundering and other potential illicit activity, the report added.
One regulatory body reportedly investigating the casinos is the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB). Federal investigators are also reviewing activities at the casinos.
In addition, former Resorts World Las Vegas president Scott Sibella was the subject of a complaint by the NGCB from activities dating back to when he was president at MGM Grand.
Sibella let illegal bookies gamble at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas without questioning the source of their funds, the complaint claims. The case focused on gambler Wayne Nix, who has yet to be sentenced.
Fired by Resorts World in September for violating company policy, Sibella pleaded guilty in January to violating the Bank Secrecy Act. He recently was sentenced to one year’s probation and must pay a $9,500 fine, plus a $100 special assessment.
MGM Resorts will pay $7.5M for violations at both MGM Grand and The Cosmopolitan, according to the Current.
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Last Comments ( 7 )
Why is this even news? There's no law against losing. It doesn't matter if you're a billionaire losing a few million a year playing craps, or some senior citizen living on Social Security and playing a hundred a month on penny slots. More importantly, sometimes you win! Once-in-a-while one of those million dollar losers buys in for $500K, gets the casino to raise the table limits, and then magic happens and they go on a run where they win $3 - $4 million. I don't see how these guys have done anything wrong to have their names bandied around in the press like this, and suspect their lawyers will be involved before it's done.
Hard to imagine being that bad at gambling to lose over 10mil. Granted that probably the equivalent to me losing 100k over a few years, which would still be an incredibly horrid run. 100% a lot of casinos turn blind eye to non-blatant money laundering types of betting, assuming they consistently come out ahead. Back in 2010's, fictional buddy and I grew/sold a decent amount of garden herbs and we'd always go play $100-500/hand blackjack with the idea we'd continue as long as our losses didn't go over 15-20%.
It doesn't sound like Resorts World properties are a good place to play. I'll stick with my Caesar's, MGM, Riverside, and Golden Nugget rewards cards.
They could have easily won as well. The Casino holds an advantage, statistically. However, if a player has a winning streak, he/she can easily clean out a casino on certain games. The casino can, nonetheless, stop the game at any point. What I have always found amusing is that Nevada Gaming Laws all favor the casinos. The players are on their own. With all due respect to the Gaming Commission, however, they do try to make sure that the gaming is fair and the players are not cheated, viz, taking out all of the high cards as one Indian owned casino was caught doing 15 years ago. Now that every American lives within 300 miles of a casino (with exceptions only in two states), one would think this has some adverse affect on casinos in Las Vegas. Yet, they still draw the players and the crowds because...hey...it's Las Vegas!!!
Apparently, unlike Kenny Rodgers, they fell short of knowing "when to hold em and when to fold em!" LOL!
I told them over and over go to mustang ranch they will 100 percent better Than losing all that money...at least at the ranch you really get what you pay for..and you get to watch T.V. from bed too!...ha
So they lost a few million. I "BET" they got some terrific comps!