On May 9, former casino executive Scott Sibella was sentenced to 12 months probation and was fined $9,500 for failing to file a suspicious activity report over a $120,000 cash marker payment from illegal bookmaker Wayne Nix when Sibella was president of MGM Grand in 2017.
Also included in the ruling was the stipulation that Sibella must complete 200 hours of community service.
The sentencing, which took just 18 minutes, was handed down by US District Court Judge Dolly M. Gee in the US District Court for the Central District of California.
According to iGamingBusiness, Sibella said during the hearing that the scandal “has turned my life upside down and I look forward to moving forward. And I promise you will never see me in this court for anything like this again.”
The crime carried a maximum sentence of five years in prison in addition to fines of up to $250,000. The reason for the lesser punishment, Gee said, was due to Sibella’s clean record and his cooperation with authorities.
Gee also said that she had received 81 letters of support for Sibella, the most she could recall seeing for one individual.
Sibella did not comment after the hearing, but instead released a statement to the media via his attorneys.
“I’m relieved to have this matter concluded and accept the terms imposed today by the court,” he said. “As I have said throughout this investigation, I regret the pain this has caused my friends and family and am extremely grateful for those who chose to stand with me throughout these difficult times.”
He added that he “gained no benefit – neither personal, professional or financial” from the crime.
According to the plea agreement, Sibella was aware of Nix’s dealings as an illegal bookmaker in mid-2017 or earlier. He allowed Nix to continue gambling at the MGM and also gave him luxury comps, for fear of losing Nix’s action.
The controversy didn’t catch up to Sibella until Sept. 15, 2023, when he was dismissed from his role as president of Resorts World Las Vegas (RWLV). The casino said that he had “violated company policies and the terms of his employment.”
It was later reported that the casino had been subpoenaed for transaction records by federal authorities who were investigating Nix. The bookmaker was a frequent player at RWLV.
Sibella then pleaded guilty on Dec. 27, 2023.
The tentacles extending from the Nix case have continued to expand over the last year, with Sibella the first to be sentenced. Nix’s sentencing has been postponed twice, and is currently scheduled for Sept. 25.
Just two hours before Sibella’s sentencing, the U.S. Attorney’s office announced that Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter who stole nearly $17 million from Ohtani to cover gambling debts, will plead guilty to bank fraud and filing a false tax return.
Mizuhara is believed to have placed his bets with Mathew Bowyer, an associate of Nix’s. The money stolen by Mizuhara was then laundered through casino marker accounts at RWLV and Pechanga Casino Resort in Temecula, Calif.
In response to the announcement, Sibella’s attorneys issued a statement distancing the executive from that matter.
“Mr. Sibella had no involvement in the bookmaking activities of Mathew Bowyer and nothing whatsoever to do with Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter of Shohei Ohtani,” the statement read.
Mizuhara’s arraignment is scheduled for May 14.
