Poker Pro Who Wagered $148M Could Avoid Prison in Resorts World Gambling Scandal

A professional poker player and bookie who gambled at least $148 million at a Las Vegas casino and lost more than $10 million at Resorts World could escape prison despite pleading guilty to illegal bookmaking and money laundering.

Federal prosecutors have joined Damien LeForbes‘ attorneys in recommending probation rather than incarceration, arguing that a proposed prison sentence of 15 to 21 months would be excessive.

The proposal would mean LeForbes would have to spend four months under home confinement, attend weekly Gamblers Anonymous meetings, undergo individual counseling, abstain from gambling, and complete 50 hours of community service.

US District Judge Monica Ramirez Almadani has not yet agreed to the recommendation. At an Oct. 15 hearing in Santa Ana, Calif., she ordered further submissions before postponing sentencing until Dec. 10, according to iGaming Bussiness.

Casino Host Referred Bettors

LeForbes, a former University of Nevada, Las Vegas baseball player, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to money laundering and operating an illegal gambling business.

According to his plea agreement, he wagered approximately $148 million at a casino identified in court documents only as “Casino A” between January 2022 and December 2023.

Nevada gaming regulators separately established that he lost more than $10 million at Resorts World over a 16-month period ending in December 2023.

A Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) complaint alleges LeForbes’ casino host knew he was an illegal bookmaker but failed to alert management.

The host told investigators he believed other employees also knew about LeForbes’ activities and that the situation was generally overlooked.

Regulators said the host even referred at least one prospective customer to LeForbes’ illegal betting operation.

Resorts World continued giving LeForbes complimentary benefits, promotional chips, and gifts before finally banning him in March 2024.

The casino agreed to pay a $10.5 million regulatory fine in March 2025 over anti-money-laundering failures involving LeForbes and another illegal bookmaker, Mathew Bowyer, without admitting wrongdoing.

Ohtani Scandal Connection

Bowyer was the bookmaker who accepted millions in illegal wagers from Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter of baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani, who stole nearly $17 million from the Dodgers player.

Bowyer was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison last year.

LeForbes’ attorneys argue that their client’s operation was considerably smaller than Bowyer’s, which handled hundreds of millions of dollars in bets from more than 700 customers.

In a joint court filing, prosecutors and defense attorneys characterized LeForbes’ criminal activity as an “aberration rather than a pattern,” pointing to his cooperation and otherwise legitimate employment history.

The judge has requested additional information about his role in the criminal operation and the conditions that would apply to probation before determining his punishment.