Hard Rock Suspends Executive Amid Punta Cana Gambling Allegations

Hard Rock International is under pressure as it pursues a coveted New York City casino license. The company has suspended a top executive, Alex Pariente, after serious money laundering allegations tied to its Punta Cana resort surfaced in recent weeks.

Good to know

• Hard Rock suspended SVP Alex Pariente following whistleblower claims at the Punta Cana resort.
• The allegations involve illegal bookmakers, including Matt Bowyer, linked to the Shohei Ohtani scandal.
• Pariente is suspended without pay while an internal investigation is underway.

Hard Rock confirmed that Pariente, its senior vice president of hotel and casino operations, has been suspended. The decision came after a whistleblower, who is a federal informant, alleged that Pariente knowingly allowed several illegal bookmakers to gamble at Hard Rock Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.

Among them was Matt Bowyer, a Southern California-based bookmaker who awaits sentencing for federal money laundering charges. Bowyer is known for accepting roughly $325 million in illegal wagers from Ippei Mizuhara, former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani, who recently started serving a five year prison sentence.

“Hard Rock International is aware of the allegations involving one of our executives and is treating the matter with the utmost seriousness,” the company said in a statement. “Honesty and integrity are core values of our organization, and we hold all team members — regardless of their role — to the highest ethical standards.”

Background and rise of Alex Pariente

Pariente has held key roles throughout the Caribbean and U.S. casino industries. Before rejoining Hard Rock, he spent nearly a year at Nexus, a Nassau-based hospitality firm backed by Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, and Justin Timberlake. He also served as executive VP of casino operations and marketing at Baha Mar, a massive resort complex in the Bahamas.

His connection to Hard Rock Punta Cana goes back several years, when he served as chief gaming officer at the property, which is considered the largest casino resort in the Dominican Republic. Although now based in South Florida, Pariente’s ties to Caribbean resorts have spanned most of the past decade.

Illegal gambling claims linked to high-profile names

According to the reports, Pariente allowed Bowyer and other illegal bookies to frequent the Punta Cana casino. R.J. Cipriani, a federal informant tied to a broader investigation involving law enforcement agencies in Las Vegas and Southern California, brought the claims to light.

Sources say Bowyer placed high-stakes wagers on table games at the resort, including at least one verified session of high-limit blackjack. He also suffered $13 million in gambling losses in 2023, according to his own comments on the StraitJacket podcast.

Bowyer previously operated one of the largest known illegal sports betting operations in the U.S., servicing more than 700 clients before the FBI raided his Orange County home last October.

Mizuhara, whose illegal bets brought Bowyer into the national spotlight, was sentenced to 57 months in prison earlier this year for embezzling approximately $17 million from Ohtani to cover his gambling debts.

Fallout comes at a sensitive time for Hard Rock

Pariente’s suspension could not have come at a more delicate moment for Hard Rock International. The company is currently pursuing a highly competitive New York City casino license, and any hint of impropriety threatens to derail the bid. The investigation into Pariente’s actions is ongoing, and the company has stated that it will act based on the findings.

Pariente has not issued any public comment since the suspension and reportedly did not respond to media inquiries on Monday.

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