The Nevada Gaming Commission on Thursday in a 4-1 vote ordered a $7.8 million fine for Caesars Entertainment Inc. for allowing an illegal bookmaker to gamble at its properties.
Commissioner Rosa Solis-Rainey opposed the motion, wanting a higher fine assessed and saying it shouldn’t have taken seven years for Caesars to discover the wrongdoing.
It was the third disciplinary action taken this year involving convicted illegal bookmaker Mathew Bowyer with fines of $10.5 million assessed to Resorts World Las Vegas and its parent company, Genting Berhad, in March, and an $8.5 million fine against MGM Resorts International in April.
The $7.8 million fine was the fifth highest against a Nevada licensee in history.
Payment of the fine settles a five-count complaint filed by the Nevada Gaming Control Board on Nov. 13.
Caesars also agreed to strengthen its anti-money-laundering controls at its eight Strip hotels as well as at its properties in Reno and managed tribal casinos in California.
“We fully cooperated with the Nevada Gaming Control Board throughout its investigation and are committed to maintaining strong anti-money laundering and ‘know your customer’ programs,” Caesars said in a statement issued Nov. 14. “We take our compliance responsibilities seriously and are dedicated to continuously strengthening our practices to meet and exceed the highest standards.”
As part of the settlement, Caesars did not admit or deny any of the allegations contained in the state’s complaint.
According to the complaint, Bowyer, who began serving a one-year prison sentence in October, “wagered and lost millions of dollars at Caesars subsidiary properties,” in Las Vegas, northern Nevada and California over the course of 100 separate days between 2017 and 2024.
Beginning in June 2019, Bowyer was categorized as “high risk” by Caesars, but the casino operator “failed to substantiate Bowyer’s source of funds and/or that his source of funds was consistent with his level of play.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.
Top 10 gaming fines
These are the top 10 fines issued by the Nevada Gaming Commission
1. Wynn Resorts Ltd., $20 million, 2019.
2. Resorts World Las Vegas, $10.5 million, 2025.
3. Steve Wynn, $10 million, 2023.
4. MGM Resorts International, $8.5 million, 2025.
5. Caesars Entertainment, $7.8 million, 2025.
T6. CG Technology (then known as Cantor G&W Holdings), $5.5 million, 2014.
T6. Wynn Resorts Ltd., $5.5 million, 2025.
8. The Mirage, $5 million ($3 million fine, $2 million compensatory payment), 2003.
9. Stardust, $3 million, 1985.
10. Santa Fe Station, $2.2 million ($1.5 million fine, $700,000 compensatory payment), 2005.