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

A professional poker player and illegal bookie who wagered $148 million at Las Vegas casinos—losing over $10 million at Resorts World alone—may avoid prison time despite pleading guilty to federal bookmaking and money laundering charges.

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.

Under the proposed agreement, LeForbes would serve four months of home confinement, attend weekly Gamblers Anonymous meetings, undergo individual counseling, abstain from all gambling, and complete 50 hours of community service.

U.S. District Judge Monica Ramirez Almadani has not yet accepted the joint recommendation. At an Oct. 15 hearing in Santa Ana, California, she ordered additional submissions before postponing sentencing until Dec. 10, according to iGaming Business.

Casino Host Facilitated Illegal Bets

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 casino employees were aware of LeForbes’ illegal operation and that the activity was routinely overlooked. Regulators noted that the host even referred at least one prospective customer to LeForbes’ betting ring.

Resorts World continued providing LeForbes with complimentary benefits, promotional chips, and luxury 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.

Connection to the Ohtani Scandal

Bowyer was the illegal bookmaker who accepted millions in wagers from Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani. Mizuhara was found to have stolen nearly $17 million from the baseball star to cover his gambling debts.

Bowyer was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison last year. However, LeForbes’ attorneys argue that their client’s operation was significantly smaller than Bowyer’s, which handled hundreds of millions of dollars in wagers from more than 700 clients.

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

Judge Almadani has requested further details regarding LeForbes’ role in the operation and the specific enforcement conditions of his proposed probation before delivering her final sentence.