The Nevada Gaming Control Board nominated a California bookmaker and convicted felon to the state’s Black Book for exclusion from casinos, and regulators announced they will consider a case against a second bookmaker in January.
Wednesday’s nomination of Wayne Nix to be considered by the Nevada Gaming Commission later this month involves his ties to MGM Resorts International. The operator was fined $8.5 million by the Nevada Gaming Commission for knowingly dealing with an illegal bookmaker as part of an anti-money-laundering case. The MGM Grand took $4 million in cash from Nix, while the Cosmopolitan, which it didn’t operate at the time, took more than $900,000 in wagers.
The MGM Grand case involved former COO and President Scott Sibella, who in December 2023 pleaded guilty to federal charges of failing to report Nix. His license was revoked by the Nevada Gaming Commission in December 2024.
Nix, who didn’t appear at Wednesday’s hearing, pleaded guilty in April 2022 to one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business and one count of subscribing to a false tax return. His long-delayed sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 6. His case for Black Book consideration will be followed in January, when the Board considers Matthew Bowyer, an illegal bookmaker who placed bets with Caesars Entertainment and Resorts World Las Vegas. Caesars was fined $7.8 million last month and Resorts World was fined $10.5 million earlier this year.
“These two individuals certainly qualify for the list of excluded persons,” Board member George Assad said. “Nix and Bowyer have brought so much negative publicity to the state.”
Assad said Nix wasn’t in Nevada just to gamble, but was laundering money. The state takes that seriously and urged the Commission to send a strong message to others thinking about doing anything illegal.
“We’re not going to tolerate it here in Nevada and this is one way we can change the culture up and down the Strip,” Assad said. “Bookmakers have been operating in Nevada for decades, but as long as they stay out of the casinos, I don’t have a problem with it. Once they start operating in the casino structure and launder money or have a good time, it brings such negative publicity that it hurts the entire state and gaming industry.”
Board Chair Mike Dreitzer said thatNix was widely known throughout Las Vegas casinos as an illegal bookmaker. “He has no place being in a casino at any time in Nevada. His presence in Nevada gaming establishments poses a threat to the interests of the state and licensed gaming generally.”
Deputy Attorney General Mike Somps said Nix is eligible for exclusion because he’s a convicted felon of crimes of moral turpitude, was convicted of violating California gaming laws, and has an unsavory reputation that would affect public confidence and trust that the gaming industry is free from corrupted elements.
Nix is accused of accepting bets in California and elsewhere, then traveling to Las Vegas with the proceeds. The cash he carried to Las Vegas was in high-denomination bills in duffle bags, paper bags, and leather purses. He used that cash for his own gambling and for paying off markers, Somps said.
“He interacted with casino marketing hosts and used them to solicit new customers and offered them commissions for those new customers,” Somps said.