What happens in Las Vegas doesn't necessarily stay in Las Vegas.
The two largest bidders vying for New York City's coveted casino licenses, Wynn Resorts at Hudson Yards and Resorts World at Queens Aqueduct, are in the midst of a recent gambling scandal on the Strip, according to the head of the New York State Gaming Commission. This could be a potential hindrance.
“Of particular concern to me are the two of our … In Las Vegas, potential bidders for new casino licenses have been cited for various violations of law,” said Brian, director of the State Gaming Commission. Chairman O'Dwyer said.
“These allegations are serious.”
Nevada-based Wynn Resorts plans to work with related companies to build a $12 billion gaming facility at Hudson Yards. This month, they agreed to pay more than $130 million. To resolve a federal investigation into fraudulent foreign wire transfers to the Wynn Las Vegas casino.
“This settlement is believed to be the largest forfeiture by a casino based on an admission of criminal conduct,” said the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California.
O'Dwyer said a Justice Department investigation found the casino was an “unauthorized agent who used foreign bank accounts to channel funds to China and other countries to users who were not eligible to access the cash in the United States.” It was revealed that he was involved.
But Wynn downplayed the settlement.
“Wynn Las Vegas' settlement with the Department of Justice regarding the conduct of a former employee several years ago resulted in no fines or charges against the company,” a Wynn spokesperson told the Post.
Meanwhile, Resorts World Las Vegas, owned by Malaysia's Genting Group, was accused of violating anti-laundering laws by doing business with illegal bookmakers, according to a complaint filed in August by the Nevada Gaming Control Board. There is.
O'Dwyer said illegal bookmakers, including the disgraced interpreter of MLB sensation Shohei Ohtani, were allowed to gamble millions of dollars.
“These allegations in the Complaint allege a culture of non-compliance in which information about illegal or suspicious activity is either negligently or, worse, completely ignored in order to promote financial gain. “This is particularly worrying,” the chairman said.
Some of the allegations against the resort centered on Matthew Bowyer, a Southern California bookmaker who received thousands of sports bets from Ohtani's former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.
Bowyer pleaded guilty last month to federal charges of operating an illegal gambling business, laundering trade funds and filing false tax returns. Mizuhara also pleaded guilty to tax evasion charges.
Resorts Las Vegas appeared to be doing some deep cleaning last week, with two high-level executives parting ways.
Resorts World New York City, which operated a state-licensed slot shop for electronic gambling games in Aqueduct for more than a decade, had sought to distance itself from the Las Vegas scandal.
A spokesperson for Resorts World New York City said in a statement: “There is no overlap between executives of one company and executives of the other, and neither company has any say in the operations of the other.” .
Mr O'Dwyer said the two scandals were troubling but did not necessarily mean he would lose his license.
Still, he said it is the commission's responsibility to ensure licensees demonstrate “the utmost integrity” and comply with New York gaming rules.
Another State Gaming Commission official told the Post that O'Dwyer took issue with the two bidders to send a message that “there are no favorites” in the selection process.
“No one gets a free ride. No one has an inside track,” the official said.
State gaming regulators are considering granting up to three casino licenses in the New York City area by the end of 2025.
The concerns are also welcome to casino rival Las Vegas Sands, which wants to build a casino in Nassau County, and Mets owner Steve Cohen's proposed casino project next to Citi Field in Queens. This could be important news.
