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Nevada casino penalties tied to illegal bookmaker Mathew Bowyer have reached $34 million after The Venetian Resort Las Vegas agreed to a $7.2 million settlement. Nevada Gaming Commission approval remains required at an August meeting.
Good to Know
- Four Las Vegas casino operators have now settled Bowyer related cases.
- Bowyer deposited about $22.3 million at The Venetian.
- Most alleged failures occurred before Apollo Global Management acquired the resort operations.
Nevada Builds Wider AML Case
The Venetian settlement joins earlier agreements involving Resorts World Las Vegas at $10.5 million, MGM Resorts International at $8.5 million and Caesars Entertainment at $7.8 million.
Regulators used the Bowyer cases to review how casinos handle source-of-funds checks, customer due diligence and reports from casino hosts. Nevada strengthened AML rules in April after talks with money laundering experts and casino companies.
“We heard and saw loud and clear that there were limitations and concerns with AML,” Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman Mike Dreitzer said.
“The industry has seen that and resoundingly got around this culture of compliance and the need to put compliance over commerce. We believe these (regulations) will make real differences,” he added.
Bowyer made around 30 visits to The Venetian from 2019 through 2021. He deposited about $22.3 million, wagered millions and lost at least $3.6 million.
A four-count complaint said a casino host knew in 2019 that Bowyer operated an illegal bookmaking business but failed to report it. Regulators also accused the casino of weak due diligence, poor source-of-funds checks and delayed exclusion.
“The Venetian’s failure to conduct adequate due diligence to substantiate Bowyer’s source of funds and/or that his source of funds did not support his level of play,” the complaint said.
Regulators further cited “The Venetian’s failure to timely ban Bowyer violated and/or undermined the Venetian’s AML program, resulting in the Venetian’s failure to prevent the possible laundering of money derived from an illegal bookmaking business.”
The Venetian banned Bowyer in March 2024.
Apollo acquired operations at The Venetian and Palazzo from Las Vegas Sands in a $6.25 billion deal completed in 2022. The purchase transferred assets, liabilities and regulatory obligations to Apollo, even though Las Vegas Sands controlled the property during most of the period covered by the complaint.
Bowyer pleaded guilty in 2024 to operating an illegal gambling business, money laundering and filing a false tax return. A court sentenced him in August 2025 to 12 months and one day in prison and ordered more than $1.6 million in IRS restitution.
Nevada added Bowyer to the List of Excluded Persons in April after his release on parole in March. The ban permanently blocks him from state casinos.
The case gained wider attention after authorities revealed that Bowyer accepted thousands of illegal bets from Ippei Mizuhara, former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani.
FAQ
How much will The Venetian pay?
The proposed Nevada AML settlement totals $7.2 million.
Why does Apollo carry the liability?
Apollo assumed property liabilities and regulatory obligations in the 2022 acquisition.
How much have Bowyer related casino settlements reached?
The four Nevada settlements total $34 million.
What did regulators say The Venetian failed to do?
The complaint cited weak due diligence, poor source-of-funds checks, delayed exclusion and an employee failure to report illegal bookmaking activity.
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