Caesars Hit With $7.8M Fine for Letting Illegal Bookmaker Gamble for Years

A big Las Vegas casino company is set to pay millions in fines after regulators found it let a known illegal bookie place bets at its locations for years. Caesars Entertainment has worked out a deal with state officials to pay $7.8 million, an agreement that shows growing attention on how casinos on the Las Vegas Strip fight money laundering.

Probe Finds Caesars Allowed Suspicious High Roller Despite Red Flags

Based on regulatory filings, state investigators found that Caesars and several of its properties allowed California bookmaker Mathew Bowyer to gamble without restrictions for over seven years. This happened even though there were long-standing worries about his finances and background. The complaint described Bowyer, who is now serving a federal sentence for bookmaking and money-laundering crimes, as a high-risk customer, reported the Las Vegas Review-Journal. His sources of wealth never matched how much he played.

Documents show that concerns about Bowyer first came up before 2017, when the company had trouble checking his income or job. In the next few years, things got worse. Investigators say Caesars spotted many warning signs: deposits worth millions, growing losses, unnamed tips connecting him to illegal betting, and proof that other casinos had already kicked him out. Even so, he kept showing up at Caesar’s places where he moved large sums of money around.

Caesars Case Highlights Growing Pressure on Casinos to Act Faster on Financial Risks

Documents like internal reviews, tax filings from Bowyer, and statements of winnings from other casinos held up disciplinary actions for a bit. Still, these papers did not clear up worries about his financial legitimacy. The company shut down his account more than once. They opened it again after he gave them more documents. The regulators decided that the company did not adequately look into or raise alarms about these warning signs even as doubts kept growing.

In early 2024, the company cut off Bowyer’s access. This happened soon after news came out that federal agents had looked through his home in Orange County. This search was part of a bigger investigation into illegal gambling groups working around Las Vegas casinos. By this time, according to the complaint, the company had seen Bowyer as a high-risk gambler for almost five years straight.

Caesars has not owned up to any wrongdoing in the settlement. However, it told regulators it helped out during the investigation. The company also stressed its plans to beef up its compliance systems. State officials will look over the agreement at a public meeting later this month.

This case adds to a rocky year for the industry’s watchdogs. Several big Las Vegas Strip casinos have faced hefty fines linked to similar failures in tracking high-roller players. This has led regulators to call for tighter internal checks and quicker responses to financial issues. For Caesars, the fine ends a tough stretch marked by poor earnings, fierce rivalry, and increased regulatory heat that continues to shape its future path.