Wynn Las Vegas Faces a $5.5 Million Fine for Money Laundering Infringement in Gaming Operations
Updated Article:
Published on: May 15, 2025, 11:17a.m.
Last modifiable on: May 16, 2025, 08:59a.m.
Corey Levitan Deep DiveCasinosScandal
The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) revealed a settlement agreement on Thursday, with Wynn Resorts agreeing to pay a $5.5 million fine to resolve money-laundering allegations initially brought against the company in 2024.
Last year, the gaming business agreed to fork over $130.13 million to the Department of Justiceβthe biggest penalty ever imposed on a US casinoβfor the same accusations. A nonprosecution agreement (NPA) between Wynn Las Vegas and the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California, which implicated some of the same charges, included:
- Unsuitable operation methods arising from activities related to unregistered money transmitting businesses
- Facilitating international financial transactions
- Permitting proxy betting and other prohibited financial transactions
According to a GCMB statement, "Upon resolution of the federal case, GCMB Enforcement Agents completed a separate regulatory investigation and received full cooperation from Wynn LV throughout the investigation."
The government's investigation, led by the DEA, IRS, and the Department of Homeland Security, discovered that Wynn Las Vegas had breached anti-money laundering regulations by knowingly accommodating some questionable Chinese clients, allowing them to gamble at the Strip resort.
One example cited by the DOJ involved a Chinese patron who had served six years in prison in China for violating financial laws and conducting unauthorized international monetary transactions.
As part of its NPA with the government, Wynn Las Vegas admitted to wrongdoing and noted that it has taken steps to strengthen its anti-money laundering protocols, as well as confirming that staff involved in the dubious transactions are no longer employed by the company.
Third Time's A Hiccup
Wynn Resorts is the third Las Vegas Strip casino operator to face a multimillion-dollar money-laundering fine within the last two months.
In March, Resorts World paid the NGCB $10.5 million to settle charges of money laundering that took place in 2022 and 2023. In April, MGM Resorts settled charges totaling $8.5 million, related to money laundering incidents occurring between 2017 and 2019.
Both the MGM and Resorts World cases were linked to Scott Sibella, the former president of both casinos, who pleaded guilty in 2024 to violating the federal Bank Secrecy Act. Sibella was dismissed from Resorts World in 2023 and Bound by a federal judge to one year's probation, a $9,500 fine, and a five-year revocation of his gaming license by the NGCB in 2025.
The NGCB fine against Wynn Resorts will be subject to a vote by the Nevada Gaming Commission during its May 22 meeting.
Bonus Info:
- Other notable fines on the Las Vegas Strip include:
- MGM Resorts:
- Fine Amount: $8.5 million
- Year: 2025
- Details: This fine was levied for anti-money laundering (AML) violations linked to illegal bookmakers Wayne Nix and Mathew Bowyer at MGM Grand and The Cosmopolitan.[4][5]
- Resorts World:
- Fine Amount: $10.5 million
- Year: 2025
- Details: This fine, the second-largest in Nevada history, was also associated with money laundering incidents.[1][2]
- The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) announced a settlement agreement on May 15, 2025, with Wynn Resorts paying a $5.5 million fine for money laundering allegations in 2024.
- Last year, Wynn Resorts paid $130.13 million to the Department of Justice, marking the biggest penalty ever imposed on a US casino for similar accusations.
- The NGCB investigation showed Wynn Las Vegas had violated anti-money laundering regulations by knowingly accommodating certain Chinese clients for gambling activities.
- One of the cited instances involved a Chinese client who had served prison time in China for financial law violations.
- Wynn Las Vegas admitted to wrongdoing in a nonprosecution agreement with the government, confirming it has strengthened its anti-money laundering protocols and dismissed staff involved in the illicit transactions.
- This is the third casino operator on the Las Vegas Strip to face a multimillion-dollar money-laundering fine in the past two months, following Resorts World and MGM Resorts.
- The former president of both casinos, Scott Sibella, received a one-year probation sentence, a $9,500 fine, and a five-year revocation of his gaming license by the NGCB in 2025 for violating the federal Bank Secrecy Act.
- The NGCB fine against Wynn Resorts is subject to approval by the Nevada Gaming Commission during its May 22 meeting, adding to the growing list of notable fines on the Las Vegas Strip associated with illegal activities and money laundering.
