Nevada regulators have harsh words for illegal bookie Bowyer as he is recommended for the Black Book
Summary
Nevada’s Gaming Control Board has recommended that Mathew Bowyer, the convicted bookmaker tied to the Shohei Ohtani interpreter gambling scandal, be permanently added to the state’s Black Book of excluded persons. Board members denounced Bowyer’s conduct and its damage to Nevada’s gaming reputation while noting his activities led to multi-million-pound fines for major casinos, including Caesars and Resorts World Las Vegas. Bowyer pleaded guilty in September 2024 to running an unlawful gambling business, money laundering and filing a false tax return; he was sentenced to 12 months in prison and began serving that term in October.
The Board’s remarks stressed that Black Book exclusion is a regulatory tool — not a criminal penalty — used to protect gaming integrity and public confidence. Regulators also warned casino operators that lax oversight will no longer be tolerated and that compliance executives may face personal consequences for failures to spot or stop illegal activity.
Key Points
- The Gaming Control Board recommended adding Mathew Bowyer to Nevada’s Black Book of excluded persons.
- Bowyer’s illegal bookmaking operation ran for years, at times with more than 700 bettors, and included Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter.
- His actions prompted large fines: Caesars was fined $7.8 million and Resorts World $10.5 million for failures linked to Bowyer’s activities.
- Board members Mike Dreitzer and George Assad criticised Bowyer sharply, calling his behaviour destructive to Nevada’s reputation and comparing his conduct to a drug dealer preying on addiction.
- Placement in the Black Book is a regulatory exclusion intended to protect industry integrity; it is separate from criminal prosecution.
- Regulators signalled a tougher stance: they will hold casino executives and compliance heads personally accountable for oversight failures in anti-money-laundering and patron screening.
Why should I read this?
Because this isn’t just another punishment — it’s a clear warning from Nevada that the era of shrugging off shady patrons and sloppy compliance is over. If you work in gaming, compliance or hospitality, the knock-on effects (big fines, firings, reputational damage) could land on your doorstep. It’s short, sharp and worth five minutes of your time.
Context and relevance
The decision highlights a wider industry trend: regulators are shifting from fining venues alone to enforcing individual accountability and using exclusion tools to protect the market. This story matters for anyone tracking anti-money-laundering enforcement, casino operational risk, or the reputational exposure of major gaming brands. It also underscores how a single illegal operator can trigger cascading penalties and personnel changes across big operators, prompting renewed scrutiny of compliance programmes.