2025 was a difficult year for Resorts World Las Vegas, and for Nevada regulators now focused on ensuring the episode is not repeated. After levying a $10.5 million anti-money laundering (AML) fine against the Strip resort last year—the second-largest in Nevada history—the Nevada Gaming Control Board on Wednesday advanced two related actions: one designed to bring closure to the scandal that prompted the penalty, and another intended to support structural reform at the casino.

The board unanimously recommended the licensure of Michelle DiTondo, a veteran human resources executive recently appointed to Resorts World’s board of directors, and the permanent exclusion of Mathew Bowyer, the convicted illegal bookmaker whose activities were central to the AML case. Both matters now move to the Nevada Gaming Commission for consideration at its 29 January meeting. Bowyer, who is serving a one-year federal prison sentence in California, may request an evidentiary hearing before the commission.

Context of the AML penalties

Resorts World was one of three Las Vegas Strip operators fined in 2025 for failures tied to their relationships with Bowyer. entity[“company”,”MGM Resorts International”,”US casino operator”] was fined $8.5 million, while Caesars Entertainment paid $7.8 million. Regulators described Resorts World’s conduct as the most serious of the three.

The fallout also included the revocation of gaming executive Scott Sibella’s licence—the only individual sanction to emerge from the investigations. Additional scrutiny focused on Resorts World’s decision to hire Bowyer’s wife, Nicole, as his personal casino host. Regulators have consistently pointed to governance failures as a root cause of the violations, particularly weak oversight and limited communication between the casino and its Malaysian parent company, Genting Berhad.

In response, Resorts World formed a casino-level board in late 2024, a step described by investigators as a critical compliance reform. The board currently includes DiTondo; chair Brian Sandoval, president of the University of Nevada, Reno and former Nevada governor; former NGCB chair AG Burnett; and Genting chief executive Tan Kong Han. Appearing before the NGCB for the first time, DiTondo emphasised that the board’s mandate extends beyond strategy to active oversight of risk, audit and compliance functions.

“We’re focused on creating a culture of compliance, transparency and accountability on the property,” she told regulators, noting that audit and compliance leaders can report directly to the board, bypassing management where necessary. Board members also receive regular training and performance metrics tied to compliance. Despite regulatory praise for DiTondo’s experience, the board’s composition has drawn scrutiny. Former MGM chief executive Jim Murren, who helped establish the board and recruited DiTondo, initially served as chair before transitioning to an emeritus role to become interim chief executive of the United Arab Emirates’ gaming regulator. Murren’s long tenure at MGM overlapped with the period of misconduct linked to Bowyer, as did Sibella’s time as an MGM executive. MGM also paid $7.45 million to federal authorities in 2024 in a related matter.

Sandoval’s appointment as board chair has also prompted questions. After serving as Nevada governor from 2011 to 2019, he was hired by Murren to lead MGM’s global gaming development efforts before becoming president of the University of Nevada, Reno in 2020. The university declined to comment on his Resorts World role.

Bowyer exclusion marks symbolic endpoint

The tone shifted later Wednesday as regulators addressed Bowyer’s proposed placement on Nevada’s exclusion list, commonly known as the “black book.” If approved, he would become the 38th individual barred from entering licensed casinos in the state. Nona Lawrence of the state Attorney General’s Office cited felony convictions, tax evasion, violations of California gaming law and what she described as a “notorious or unsavoury reputation” incompatible with licensed gaming. She also highlighted Bowyer’s post-arrest media profile, including a memoir, podcast and high-profile interviews.

“Mr Bowyer may be one of the most media-exposed illegal bookmakers in the country,” Lawrence said. NGCB chair Mike Dreitzer framed the action as core to Nevada’s regulatory mission. “This goes to the integrity of gaming, the confidence of the public and the reputation of this state as the gold standard for gaming regulation,” he said.

This action goes to the very core of Nevada’s gaming regulatory mission: protecting the integrity of gaming, the confidence of the public and the reputation of this state as the gold standard for gaming regulation.

Message to Washington

Board member George Assad used the moment to address broader concerns about federal oversight. Critics have faulted Nevada regulators for acting only after federal authorities uncovered the misconduct, and Bowyer’s case has fuelled calls for stronger national frameworks, particularly as sports betting expands. Assad argued that the fines and exclusion demonstrate state regulators’ ability to police the industry themselves. “It sends a strong message to the federal government and federal politicians that we can clean up our own dirty laundry,” he said.

For Resorts World, the regulatory process now turns to whether its new governance structure can restore confidence and prevent a repeat of one of the most costly compliance failures in Nevada gaming history.