Het verhaal
The Nevada Gaming Commission on Thursday, Aug. 20, fined Venetian Las Vegas Gaming LLC, doing business as The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, $7.2 million for failing to stop an illegal bookmaker from playing at the casino between 2019 and 2021.
Commissioners voted 3-0 to approve a stipulation and settlement. Two commissioners recused because of potential conflicts. Review-Journal reporter Richard N. Velotta wrote that the fine is the sixth-highest ever assessed against a Nevada gaming company. The case centered on play by Mathew Bowyer, a convicted felon and illegal bookmaker who has also figured in earlier actions against Resorts World Las Vegas ($10.5 million), MGM Resorts International ($8.5 million) and Caesars Entertainment ($7.8 million). State fines tied to his activity now total $34 million.
The illegal play occurred before Apollo Global Management bought the Venetian from Las Vegas Sands Corp. in a deal that closed in 2022. A June 11 Nevada Gaming Control Board complaint said the current owners “assumed all liabilities relevant to this matter.” Venetian CEO and President Patrick Nichols signed the settlement and appeared at the hearing. Bowyer was banned from gambling at the Venetian in March 2024 after Apollo-hired compliance officers were in place, later placed on Nevada’s List of Excluded Persons, and in August 2025 was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison on charges including running an illegal gambling business; he was released in March.
Commissioner Brian Krolicki said Apollo bought the property “warts and wonders all, you own it,” while noting current managers were not in charge when the play occurred. Nichols told the commission that if the company cannot validate a source of funds, “that individual is not playing with us,” and that “there’s no one player, no one deal” worth the reputation of the Venetian or the state. Las Vegas Sands declined comment Thursday. The Review-Journal noted it is owned by the Adelson family, including the majority shareholder of Las Vegas Sands.