Caesars Entertainment agrees $7.8m settlement over AML failures
Nevada regulators have reached a proposed settlement with Caesars Entertainment following allegations that the operator allowed a convicted illegal bookmaker to gamble at its properties for several years.
Caesars Entertainment will pay a $7.8m fine and implement strengthened anti-money laundering (AML) controls under a settlement filed with the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) and Nevada Gaming Commission. Regulators will consider approving the agreement at a public meeting on 20 November.
A five-count complaint filed alongside the settlement alleges “failures of control” in allowing Mathew Bowyer, later convicted of running an illegal gambling operation, to gamble at Caesars Palace and other Caesars properties from before 2017 until January 2024, when he was barred.
Bowyer wagered and lost millions of dollars across Caesars properties in Las Vegas, Northern Nevada and California, according to the NGCB. The complaint states that Bowyer was flagged as “high risk” in 2019 but that the company failed to substantiate the source of his funds.
Caesars said it “fully cooperated” with regulators and remains committed to maintaining strong AML and Know Your Customer programmes. As part of the settlement, the company does not admit or deny the allegations.
Caesars becomes the third Las Vegas operator sanctioned over dealings with Bowyer, following earlier penalties issued to MGM Resorts International ($8.5m) and Resorts World Las Vegas ($10.5m).
Bowyer, 50, pleaded guilty in 2024 to federal charges including operating an illegal gambling business, money laundering and filing a false tax return. He began a one-year prison sentence in October.
