A gambling licence in Nevada will be removed from former casino executive Sibella.

A gambling licence in Nevada will be removed from former casino executive Sibella.

Scott Sibella, a former executive at MGM Grand and Resorts World, pleaded guilty in January to failing to file a suspicious activity report while at the MGM Grand. Today, the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) announced a tentative deal with Sibella. 
headshot of Scott Sibella 
So far, Sibella is the sole convicted member of a massive underground sports betting ring. 

Ippei Mizuhara, a Japanese language interpreter, stole $17 million (£13.4 million/€16.1 million) from baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani to gamble, Wayne Nix, to whom Sibella extended credit despite knowing that he ran an illegal book, and Mathew Bowyer, to whom she extended credit despite knowing that he had up to 700 clients playing at his illegal book, are all awaiting verdict. Court proceedings are underway in Southern California's US District Court. The three offenders have all entered guilty pleas and are now facing fines and prison terms that vary. 

On 26 March 2025, Nix is slated to be sentenced; on 7 February 2025, Bowyer; and on 24 January 2025, Mizuhara will be sentenced. 

In the first case, Mizuhara bet with Bowyer, and in the second, Nix and Bowyer were involved in an illicit sportsbook. 

As reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Sibella will also be added to the NGCB's list of denials, revocations, and judgements of unsuitability. Beginning in December 2023, his licence will be suspended for a period of five years. Further penalties include a $10,000 fine. 

In May, the US District Court handed down a sentence to Sibella. In addition to the $9,600 in fines and penalties, he was sentenced to one year of probation. Meanwhile, Sibella claimed he accepted "full and complete responsibility for what I did" during that moment. While working at MGM Grand, he "heard" rumours about Nix being an illegal bookie, but he refused to believe them, according to court filings. 

"I preferred not to be informed due to the nature of my position," Sibella stated in her plea deal. Bookmakers are as common as hens' teeth in this industry. Personally, I don't get involved. We can't let them gamble if we know. Nobody asked me. He wasn't trying to deceive the casino in any way, so I guess I just didn't want to find out. 

Sibella lost her chance for a career in gaming because of that rejection. The Review-Journal reports that Sibella's revocation makes it seem like other states' regulators could be hesitant to recruit her. Possessing a valid licence in other jurisdictions may also be a prerequisite for employment. 

RW was the target of the NGCB's complaint, rather than MGM Grand. 
Just as the probe into illegal sports betting was about to reach its peak, Sibella departed the MGM Grand. Following his dismissal in September 2023, Resorts World has been the subject of a complaint from the NGCB. 

Regarding the California sports betting scandal and anti-money laundering, the regulator identified twelve infractions. The deadline for Resorts World to reply was 9 December, but the company has not made its response public as yet. 

Up to this point, MGM Grand has been unpunished and unnoticed by the NGCB.