Four months after Scott Sibella, former president and COO of Resorts World Las Vegas, pleaded guilty to failing to report illegal gamblers playing at MGM Grand in 2018, he’s now the subject of a complaint filed Tuesday by the Nevada Gaming Control Board.
Sibella, scheduled to be sentenced May 8 in California on federal charges of failing to file suspicious activities reports, faces a fine and the loss of his gaming license. He already faces up to five years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 in federal court. The plea was taken in December and made public in January.
The 41-page Gaming Control Board filing cited Sibella’s guilty plea involving his role as president at the MGM Grand, when he accepted $120,000 in cash from Wayne Nix to pay off a marker. According to the complaint, Nix operated an illegal bookmaking operation from August 2017 until February 2019.
The Board alleges Sibella knew about Nix’s illegal bookmaking and allowed him to gamble at the Grand and affiliated MGM properties.
“Not only did Sibella and two hosts allow Nix to continue to gamble at the casino and affiliate properties, but they authorized Nix to receive complimentary benefits at the casino, including meals, room, board, and golf trips with senior executives and other high net-worth customers of the casino to further encourage Nix to patronize the casino and affiliated properties,” the complaint said.
Sibella suspected customers of the MGM Grand placed bets with Nix, the complaint alleges, and that he “deliberately avoided” learning how Nix paid his $120,000 marker.
In April 2022, Nix pleaded guilty to conspiracy to operate an illegal sports-gambling operation and one count of filing a false tax return.
