Resorts World gambler agrees to plead guilty to money laundering, illegal bookmaking • Nevada Current

Mathew Bowyer, the illegal bookmaker who lost millions at Resorts World Las Vegas and took bets from Ippei Mizuhara, the interpreter at the time of Los Angeles baseball star Shohei Ohtani, has agreed to plead guilty to federal criminal charges, according to the U.S. Attorney from the Central District of California. 

He faces up to 10 years in prison for money laundering, up to five years for illegal bookmaking, and up to three years for the false tax return.

Bowyer operated as an illegal bookie “in Los Angeles and Orange counties as well as in Las Vegas. Bowyer also employed agents and sub-agents – including casino hosts – who worked for his illegal gambling business who were paid a portion of the losses that bettors incurred and paid,” according to a news release from federal authorities. “At times, Bowyer operated his illegal business while gambling at a casino – identified in court documents as ‘Casino A’ – and sometimes paid his agents commission in Casino A chips.”

In May, the Current reported Bowyer, during 32 trips to Resorts World Las Vegas between 2022 and 2023, and his associate, Ryan Boyajian lost close to $12 million at the hotel casino. It’s unknown if Resorts World is “Casino A.”  No charges have been filed against the hotel casino. 

The Current was the first to report a year ago that federal authorities were investigating allegations of money laundering by illegal bookmakers in Las Vegas casinos, and first reported that Bowyer’ California home was raided by federal agents in October last year, as was the Las Vegas home of his Resorts World independent host Jennifer Belcastro.

Scott Sibella, the former president and COO of Resorts World, and former president of MGM Grand, pled guilty in January to accepting $100,000 in cash at MGM from illegal bookmaker Wayne Nix without filing a required suspicious activity report.  

Bowyer was also a customer at the Venetian, according to sources. 

The three-count charge, brought as a result of an investigation by the Criminal Division of the IRS and Homeland Security, charges Bowyer with operating an unlawful gambling business, money laundering, and subscribing to a false tax return.

He is expected to plead guilty on August 9, according to the U.S. Attorney. 

Bowyer’s business operated for at least five years and at times had more than 700 bettors,  according to the feds. 

From September 2021 to January 2024, Mizuhara, who is awaiting sentencing to prison,  “placed at least 19,000 bets with Bowyer’s illegal gambling business through one of the betting websites Bowyer used for it.”  Mizuhara won bets totalling $142.2 million, and lost bets of at least $182.9 million, amounting to a net loss of $40.6 million. 

Between February 2022 and January 2024, after Bowyer’s home had been raided, Mizuhara paid Bowyer $16.25 million in funds stolen from Ohtani’s bank account.  Of that, Bowyer transferred at least $9.3 million to Resorts World Las Vegas in the form of wire transfers, to pay markers for himself and his associates.

Bowyer owes the government $1.6 million in taxes, excluding interest and penalties, and agreed to pay a fine of $250,000. 

He also has agreed to fully cooperate with federal prosecutors and investigators.