Date Published: December 4, 2025, 11:28h.
Last Updated: December 4, 2025, 11:28h.
- Wayne Nix’s illegal gambling operations led to casino management changes.
- Regulators are contemplating adding Nix to the state’s notorious Black Book.
- The case unveiled significant money laundering threats and deficiencies in casino regulation.
Wayne Nix, a former minor league pitcher turned illicit bookmaker, whose actions resulted in the ousting of Resorts World’s President and COO Scott Sibella, may soon face a ban from all casinos in Nevada.
On Wednesday, the Nevada Gaming Control Board unanimously recommended Nix for inclusion in Nevada’s infamous “Black Book” – a collection of mobsters, hustlers, and scammers banned from casinos in the state.
The Nevada Gaming Commission will have the final decision on this matter later this month, and historically, the commissioners align with the board’s recommendations.
Massive Betting Operations
Nix, who played for farm teams of the Oakland Athletics, ran a multimillion-dollar illegal sportsbook in California, enlisting other former MLB players as bookies and attracting affluent professional athletes as clients.
From 2014 to 2020, aided by an offshore pay-per-head platform, Nix processed millions in bets, including one staggering $5 million wager on the Super Bowl.
Throughout this period, he frequently visited Las Vegas casinos, utilizing his business earnings for gambling and offsetting casino markers. He also solicited new patrons through VIP hosts and compensated them for referrals.
At that time, Sibella was leading MGM Grand, a casino where Nix routinely gambled. Federal prosecutors revealed that Sibella was cognizant of Nix’s business and likely knew he was gambling with illicit funds. Yet, he permitted Nix to clear casino markers using large bundles of cash.
Sibella later confessed to federal agents that he refrained from probing the origins of the funds, understanding that this would compel him to halt Nix’s gambling activities.
Sibella was terminated by Resorts World in September 2023 for breaching company protocols. In January 2024, he pleaded guilty to a federal charge of violating the Bank Secrecy Act by failing to report suspicious transactions and received probation.
Plea Agreement
In April 2022, Nix entered a guilty plea for conspiracy to run an illegal gambling enterprise and for falsifying tax returns, with sentencing still pending.
“[…Nix] has generated extensive negative attention for the state of Nevada, and he certainly meets the criteria for entrance into the infamous Nevada Black Book,” Board member George Assad stated.
[…] He wasn’t merely participating in gambling; he was involved in money laundering, a federal crime that we unequivocally do not wish to see in Nevada. I urge the commission to proceed decisively and convey a strong message to federal authorities – [and] to anyone contemplating similar activities – that such behavior will not be tolerated in Nevada.
Nix did not attend the hearing, despite an invitation to do so.
Chair Mike Dreitzer indicated that the board will evaluate the nomination of another illicit bookie, Mathew Bowyer, in January. Bowyer accepted thousands of bets from Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Shohei Ohtani, who was misappropriating funds from the MLB star to fuel his gambling addiction.
Bowyer was also known for lavish gambling at Las Vegas casinos, often wagering millions at Resorts World.