DAMIEN LEFORBES LONG BEACH, CA, United States

Damien LeForbes

In its complaint, the Nevada Gaming Control Board says that Resorts World damaged the reputation of the state’s gaming industry by allowing several known or suspected felons to wager at the casino. Resorts World says it is aware of the complaint and cooperating with the investigation. Damien LeForbes Craps is a dice game in which players place wagers on the outcome of the roll, or a series of rolls, of a pair of dice. Players may wager money against each other (street craps, also known as shooting dice or rolling dice) or a bank (casino craps, also known as table craps).

Another Vegas poker-room bookie busts out, but questions remain in federal investigation

News of the presence of IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations agents first surfaced on social media from The Nevada Current, one of the media outlets following the story. All that still doesn’t answer the questions of what the company knew about the players it suddenly banned, and whether they were part of something bigger. If the investigation ended there, it would be a significant success for law enforcement and yet another wake-up call for Nevada gaming regulators. The state’s much-ballyhooed reputation as the “gold standard” of casino regulation borders on self-parody these days. The understaffed GCB has a lot of catching up to do on this one.

  • According to a statement of facts included with the plea agreement, LeForbes ran his illegal sportsbook for at least five years in Southern California, and the business took a gross revenue of well over $2,000 per day.
  • Professional poker player Damien Leforbes has pleaded guilty in federal court to running an illegal sports betting operation and money laundering, according to Matt Rybaltowski of SportsHandle.
  • The detailed 31-page complaint by the Control Board outlines several serious allegations, suggesting that numerous individuals involved in criminal activities wagered millions of dollars at Resorts World over a period of several months.
  • Mizuhara made 19,000 wagers, which netted him losses of around $40 million.
  • The company merged with Betr (an Australian business) in April with a goal of increasing Australian market share to more than 10%.
  • Each professional sports team/venue and casino company would get one digital skin (platform) and there would be two stand-alone mobile licences available.
  • MGM Grand and the Cosmopolitan have since entered into non-prosecution agreements with the government and paid a $7.45 million fine.

Recent Cashes

Before he became a Sports Editor, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. Sean Lucero will plead guilty to charges of attempted theft and oppression, his attorney said. Although LeForbes faces the potential of a long prison sentence, don’t expect one. This investigation doesn’t appear to be about putting illegal bookies in solitary — at least not yet. Nevada Current is a nonprofit online source of political and policy news and commentary.

More Details Uncovered In Illegal Betting Ring In California

MGM Grand and the Cosmopolitan have since entered into non-prosecution agreements with the government and paid a $7.45 million fine. Resorts World has not been charged by the federal government with wrongdoing. It’s unknown if Casino A is Resorts World, where LeForbes racked up $12.3 million in losses during close to four dozen trips, as reported by the Current in May. Related Companies and Wynn Resorts this week shared additional renderings and an animated video showing what their New York City casino project would look like.

Sports Handle News Roundup for Thursday, September 5

In a world that often finds a new generation of top gamblers knowing when to hold ’em and fold ‘em, but not when to stop preening on social media and making noise in the poker room, Damien LeForbes cast a different image.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

A third illegal bookmaker from California has signed an agreement to plead guilty to running an illegal bookmaking operation and money laundering in California and in a Las Vegas casino. Professional Poker Player Damien LeForbes has entered into an agreement to plead guilty to running an illegal sports betting operation in California, as well as engaging in money laundering via a Las Vegas casino. Beyond the sports betting charges, the prominent poker player has also been charged with transactional money laundering related to his activities with an unnamed casino.

Craps Redditor Money Laundering Arrest Megathread

Damien LeForbes

Fallout from the Wayne Nix federal illegal bookmaking and money laundering case continues in Las Vegas with the state Gaming Control Board’s reported interest in the widening investigation. According to court documents, LeForbes wagered a total of more than $148 million at Casino A over an 11-month period during 2023. The Current also cited a source who claimed that LeForbes owes $1 million to the Venetian.

  • Nevada Current is a nonprofit online source of political and policy news and commentary.
  • For months, LeForbes’s name remained in the shadows of the case.
  • Attorney who last week charged Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Major League Baseball star Shohei Ohtani, with illegally transferring $16 million from Ohtani’s bank account to alleged illegal bookmaker and gambler Matt Bowyer.
  • There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data.
  • After news of the investigation broke, MGM cut ties with several customers who were known illegal bookmakers, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.
  • LeForbes, like Bowyer, continued to play at Resorts World and other casinos after news of the federal investigation became public, and the feds had subponaed Resorts World, the source says.

Search Sports Handle

Damien LeForbes is a co-star in the story that gained national attention because some of those millions of dollars were stolen from MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani by his interpreter. A Resorts World spokesperson acknowledged the Control Board complaint and said the company is cooperating with authorities on the investigation. A Resorts World spokesperson in August acknowledged the Control Board complaint and said the company is cooperating with authorities on the investigation. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data.

  • Bowyer was known to gamble at Resorts World Las Vegas, where he allegedly laundered the funds stolen from Ohtani.
  • In the works for months, the plea agreement was made public only last week.
  • Beyond the sports betting charges, the prominent poker player has also been charged with transactional money laundering related to his activities with an unnamed casino.
  • Yeah, you’ll owe a pretty penny to the IRS for federal income taxes (Nevada has no state income tax).
  • In his time as a freelancer, Ed has worked for About.com, Gambling.com, and Covers.com, among other sites.
  • However, Leforbes allegedly racked up more than $12 million in gambling losses at the casino, the Nevada Current reported earlier this year.

Poker professional pleads guilty to running illegal sports betting business

Additionally, he could receive a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the gross gain/loss from his illegal business. For roughly three years, Forbes took millions in business across Nevada and California. In the works for months, the plea agreement was made public only last week. LeForbes admitted to the crimes of operating an illegal gambling business (bookmaking) and conducting transactional money laundering. According to the government’s accounting, he lost approximately $12.3 million, presumably generated by his bookmaking operation, from January 2022 to mid-December 2023.

Pro Poker Player Faces Up To 15 Years in Prison After Admitting Wrongdoing — Report

Damien LeForbes

In his time as a freelancer, Ed has worked for About.com, Gambling.com, and Covers.com, among other sites. He has also authored multiple books and enjoys curling competitively, which has led to him creating curling-related content for his YouTube channel “Chess on Ice.” Caesars Entertainment Corporation is the world’s most geographically diversified casino-entertainment company. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada, 75 years ago, Caesars has grown through development of new resorts, expansions and acquisitions and now operates casinos on four continents.

A pro poker player could face up to 15 years in prison for operating an illegal sportsbook and money laundering

In some cases, he recruited hosts from the casino to refer potential customers and took its chips as payment from bettors. Thursday’s meeting was the last for director of sports betting Bruce Band, who is retiring. Band has more than 45 years of casino operations and gambling regulatory experience. State agents reportedly also contacted Bowyer’s host at the Venetian, which is a subsidiary of Apollo Global Management. Attorney who last week charged Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Major League Baseball star Shohei Ohtani, with illegally transferring $16 million from Ohtani’s bank account to alleged illegal bookmaker and gambler Matt Bowyer.

Damien LeForbes

See you in court

“They want to talk to Bowyer’s hosts at Resorts World and the Venetian,” the source said of the GCB. MGM and the Cosmopolitan, where Nix also gambled, entered non-prosecution agreements with the feds and paid a collective $7.45 million fine. Nix’s sentencing has been postponed twice – an indication that he is still cooperating with authorities. The latter requirement might have some casino executives and employees losing sleep these days. Statistics from daily, weekly, monthly and other recurring events only.

The Plaza casino-hotel is hosting an inaugural New Year’s Eve Super Bingo on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 with $160,000 in prize money up for grabs, according to a press release. Resorts World, MGM, and the Cosmopolitan have been named publicly, but it’s not much of a secret at this point that LeForbes owes the Venetian as well. MGM and the Cosmo signed non-prosecution agreements and Resorts World is the subject of a bruising Nevada Gaming Control Board complaint that puts its privileged license in jeopardy. I’m curious about what LeForbes and Bowyer were doing, blowing so much money across the tables at Resorts World in such a short time and with the feds closing in.

It seems likely the commission will consider at least two models. Under the proposal, the regulator would require seven days advance notice before a platform shuts down and would allow 182 days to return funds to bettors or turn the money over to the state comptroller. In addition, the regulator would require a clear shut-down plan.

Sports Handle News Roundup for Thursday, August 29

Last month, the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) revealed it wants to financially penalize Resorts World Las Vegas after the casino allegedly let illegal bookmakers gamble without saying from where the money came. Leforbes is alleged to have been one of the co-conspirators in the illegal gambling ring involving Matt Bowyer and Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. Bowyer allegedly accepted millions of dollars in bets from Mizuhara.

  • Court records reveal that LeForbes developed his illegal betting business at a notable Las Vegas casino, referred to as “Casino A” in legal documents, where he was a regular at Resorts World Las Vegas.
  • Anyone with a reasonable grasp of basic strategy can move a lot of money across a blackjack table without losing it all, but that total handle doesn’t equate with any real profit or loss figure.
  • At a time legalized sports betting has become the hottest story in the gaming industry, the federal investigation has revealed a coziness between some casino operators and members of the illegal bookmaking fraternity.
  • The Nevada Gaming Control Board has taken action against Resorts World and its affiliate entities, filing a disciplinary complaint earlier in August.
  • Mr. Forbes is a professional poker player operating an illegal sportsbook and performing money laundering.

Online Sports Betting News & Offers

“This included at least two hosts at Casino A, who referred at least two new potential bettors” to LeForbes. Sports Handle is home for information on the legal U.S. sports wagering industry — legislation, business, and policy. For the latest news, follow along on Twitter at @sports_handle. The Nevada Gaming Control Board has taken action against Resorts World and its affiliate entities, filing a disciplinary complaint earlier in August. The complaint accuses the casino of allowing gamblers connected to illegal bookmaking and those with histories of federal felony convictions to gamble at its facilities.

  • During a 17-month period through October 2023, Bowyer lost approximately $7.9 million at Resorts World Las Vegas (RWLV), according to ESPN.
  • All that still doesn’t answer the questions of what the company knew about the players it suddenly banned, and whether they were part of something bigger.
  • The plea agreement for LeForbes was filed with the US District Court of Central California on Monday.
  • He urges the press and poker room parrots not to rush to judgment of his clients.
  • Damien LeForbes, 43, a professional poker player, on Thursday pleaded guilty to the charges and will be sentenced Jan. 23 in Los Angeles.
  • LeForbes and his agents would use a call center to create these accounts where bets could be tracked.

The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency on Thursday (29 August) posted multiple proposed rule changes. Included in the mix is two pages of regulations that would govern how an operator would exit the state. Several companies, including Betr, SuperBook and Wynn have opted to shut down operations in various US jurisdictions this year, including Maryland. On Thursday (29 August) Australian-based BlueBet announced it is exiting the US to focus on its “core” Australian business. The company merged with Betr (an Australian business) in April with a goal of increasing Australian market share to more than 10%. BlueBet operates as ClutchBet in the US and is licensed in Colorado, Iowa and Louisiana.

Professional poker player Damien LeForbes has pleaded guilty in federal court to running an illegal sports betting operation and money laundering. LeForbes is alleged to have been one of the co-conspirators in the illegal gambling ring involving Matthew Bowyer and Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. Bowyer and LeForbes have been under investigation by federal authorities for the operation of an illegal sportsbook, and LeForbes reportedly racked up over $12 million in gambling losses at Resorts World in Las Vegas. On Monday, Damien LeForbes, the operator of an illegal sports betting company, pleaded guilty. Mr. Forbes is a professional poker player operating an illegal sportsbook and performing money laundering. According to reports, Forbes could face up to 15 years in prison and up to three years on supervised release.