Caesars Entertainment is facing scrutiny after Nevada regulators issued a $7.8 million penalty tied to long-running money laundering and reporting failures involving California bookmaker Mathew Bowyer. The settlement, which stems from a multi-year investigation by the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB), outlines a pattern of repeated account suspensions and reinstatements, and a persistent inability to verify Bowyer’s source of funds across several Caesars properties.
Regulators outline years of missed warning signs
According to regulators, Bowyer had been wagering at Caesars properties for years before being formally removed in January 2024. Internal reviews flagged him as a risk as early as 2017 when multiple due diligence checks could not verify a legitimate income source. Despite these findings, Bowyer continued to place large bets at; Caesars Palace, Harrah’s Resort Southern California and the former Harveys in Lake Tahoe.
Bowyer’s name became public knowledge after a federal investigation into Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. Prosecutors stated that Mizuhara stole millions from Ohtani to cover gambling debts owed to Bowyer. While Ohtani was never implicated, the case shone a light on Bowyer’s betting activity across the state of Nevada. He was later sentenced to 12 months and one day for operating an illegal gambling business, money laundering and filing a false tax return.
The NGCB complaint highlights a bigger problem inside Caesars Palace. Risk assessments should have marked Bowyer as suspicious, his account should have been flagged and suspended, he would have also needed to provide tax documents or statements that would’ve raised further red flags, But that never happened.
In several documents, Caesars Palace noted that his income was “undetermined” while also being aware that other Las Vegas casinos had already banned him. One internal review from 2017 recorded more than $4 million deposited at Caesars Palace even though analysts could not find any documents on where the funds originated.
Growing regulatory pressure across the Strip
Caesars is now the third major operator fined in connection with Bowyer’s activities. Resorts World previously paid $10.5 million, and MGM Resorts settled for $8.5 million in a related AML matter. Combined, the enforcement actions reflect just how negligent Nevada regulators are when it involves high-rollers who have repeated lapses in customer vetting, source-of-funds documentation and transaction monitoring.
The NGCB said it identified five core failures inside Caesars Palace that lead to the eventual fine. These included not establishing Bowyer’s financial background, failing to permanently remove him despite suspicious behavior, inconsistent escalation to AML officers and inadequate follow-up procedures when new information surfaced. Regulators also noted that Caesars acted decisively only after media outlets reported a federal raid on Bowyer’s home in early 2024.
Caesars responds as oversight tightens
Caesars said it has cooperated fully with the investigation and has strengthened its AML controls. The company has added new training measures for staff, updated internal procedures and added oversight measures intended to prevent similar failures in the future.
The Nevada Gaming Commission will review the proposed settlement at its next hearing. If approved, the penalty will be deposited into the state’s General Fund.
The fine comes at a difficult moment for Caesars, which is contending with low tourist rates in Las Vegas, competition with offshore markets and slow progress on its New York casino bid. Regulators, meanwhile, have signaled that it will remain ever-vigilant as the state aims to curb what it views as recurring compliance failures across the Strip and the greater Las Vegas area.
References:
- AP News – Caesars Palace fined $7.8M over gambling by bookmaker linked to Ohtani’s interpreter https://apnews.com/article/caesars-palace-casino-ohtani-mathew-bowyer-2c634d8e803f62ad36e867e0ac0fd711
- Las Vegas Review Journal – Gaming regulators approve $7.8M fine against Caesars https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/gaming-regulators-approve-7-8m-fine-against-caesars-3584404/
- Yahoo! Finance – Caesars fined $7.8M by Nevada regulators https://finance.yahoo.com/news/caesars-fined-7-8m-nevada-201000461.html
- Reno Gazette Journal – Nevada gaming commissioners approve fine against Caesars https://www.rgj.com/story/news/nevada/2025/11/21/gaming-commissioners-approve-fine-against-caesars-conflate-illegal-bookies/87397310007/
