Venetian Agrees to $7.2M Fine for Illegal Bookmaker’s Gambling Activity

The Venetian joins a growing list of Las Vegas casinos paying millions of dollars in fines to resolve allegations that the resort failed to properly monitor and restrict the gambling activity of illegal bookmaker Mathew Bowyer. It will pay $7.2 million to the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) in a settlement expected to be finalized at the Nevada Gaming Commission’s August meeting.

The case centers on Bowyer’s extensive play at the Venetian between 2019 and 2021, a period during which investigators say he made roughly 30 visits to the property. During those trips, Bowyer deposited about $22.3 million in front‑money accounts, wagered millions of dollars, and recorded at least $3.6 million in losses.

At the time, the resort was owned by Las Vegas Sands Corp., the company founded by Sheldon Adelson. Following Adelson’s death in early 2021, the Venetian and Palazzo were sold to Apollo Global Management in February 2022.

Banned Too Late

Bowyer’s gambling activity tapered off after the ownership change, and the resort ultimately banned him on March 11, 2024, after receiving information indicating he might be operating as an illegal bookie. Bowyer later pleaded guilty to running an illegal gambling business, money laundering, and filing a false tax return, and was sentenced in federal court in 2025.

The NGCB complaint filed June 25 outlines several failures by the Venetian, including its inability to establish Bowyer’s legitimate source of funds, its decision not to bar him despite concerns about his finances, and a casino host’s failure to report information indicating Bowyer was involved in illegal bookmaking.

Investigators also found that the resort’s internal reviews repeatedly failed to verify Bowyer’s claimed income, which included assertions of a net worth exceeding $5 million and annual earnings between $500,000 and $1 million. Public records showed his synthetic turf business generated only about $94,000 in annual sales, and other assets he claimed could not be substantiated.

In 2019, Bowyer arrived at the resort with a $1 million cashier’s check, which the Venetian accepted before allowing him to gamble. He left with winnings, and the check was returned to him. Over the next several years, the resort continued attempting to verify his financial background but was unable to confirm the legitimacy of his income.

The complaint also notes that the Venetian previously faced money‑laundering scrutiny. In 2016, the property paid a $2 million settlement after a NGCB investigation, and in 2013, Las Vegas Sands Corp. agreed to return $47.4 million to the U.S. Treasury following a federal probe.

Hall of Fines

The Venetian’s settlement adds to a growing list of Strip properties penalized in connection with money‑laundering investigations involving Bowyer and other high‑risk gamblers, though the conditions of these settlements all included no admission of guilt. With the Venetian’s agreement, the tally for Bowyer-related investigations reaches $34 million:

• Resorts World: $10.5 million (paid March 2025)
• MGM Resorts: $8.5 million (paid April 2025)
• Caesars Entertainment: $7.8 million (paid November 2025)
• Venetian: $7.2 million (expected August 2026)

Bowyer’s name gained national attention after Ippei Mizuhara, a former interpreter for L.A. Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, was accused of stealing more than $16 million from Ohtani’s account to fund gambling debts owed to Bowyer. 

Bowyer was sentenced on August 29, 2025 to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison (plus 2 years of supervised release). He self-surrendered on October 10, 2025 to begin serving his sentence. On June 17, 2026, he was released early from federal custody — but not before the Nevada Gaming Commission unanimously added him to the state’s infamous List of Excluded Persons, commonly known as the “Black Book,” permanently banning him from all Nevada casinos.