Posted on: August 29, 2025, 12:37h.
Last updated on: August 29, 2025, 12:37h.
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Cipriani says bookies taking the fall for execs’ malfeasance at Resorts World
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Comments arrive as bookie Bowyer was sentenced to 12 months and a day in federal prison
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Cipriani implores casino industry to cease hiring executives with checkered pasts
Earlier today, Mathew Bowyer, the former bookmaker at the epicenter of the imbroglio involving ex-MLB translator Ippei Mizuhara, was sentenced to 12 months and a day in federal prison, prompting a well-known whistleblower to speak out.
R.J. Cipriani, also known as Robin Hood 702, said the Bowyer case, the pending sentencing of bookmaker Wayne Nix, and Damien LeForbes — formerly a friend and colleague of Bowyer’s — are examples of bookmakers taking the fall when casino executives, including former Resorts World Las Vegas President Scott Sibella, essentially go unscathed.
Bowyer was wrung up on charges of operating an unlawful gambling business, money laundering, and subscribing to a false tax return, after Cipriani exposed misdeeds at Resorts World Las Vegas, including the Genting-owned casino hotel knowingly accepting bets from as many as 30 known bookmakers, including Bowyer, LeForbes and Nix. Cipriani, whose gambling career spans five decades, is widely credited exposing Sibella’s malfeasance to regulators, leading to the executive’s firing from the Strip venue in 2023 for undisclosed violations of his employment agreement.
It’s hard to believe given all that’s happened at Resorts World that no other employees or executives besides Scott Sibella faced punishment or jail time and all he got was a slap on the wrist,” Cipriani said in an interview with Casino.org. “For a giant federal investigation to yield only three bookies when at least 30 bookies that I know of gambled at Resort World, I felt compelled to shed light on Sibella’s wrong doings and those of his c-suite colleagues at Resorts World.”
Cipriani added that he’s been meeting with a former assistant US attorney from Washington D.C. that’s now in private practice to decide on potentially filing a RICO case against Resorts World Las Vegas and all their corrupt executives that were involved in having him arrested on “bogus” charges in an effort to prevent him from exposing illicit behavior at the Strip casino hotel.
Resorts World Tried to Intimidate Cipriani
Cipriani, a high-stakes blackjack player, dons the Robin Hood 702 moniker because he takes seriously his mission of exposing unscrupulous casino executives while attempting to do right by the people, including employees or gamblers, those executives harmed.
Those efforts didn’t sit well with Resorts World Las Vegas. Cipriani alleges executives at the integrated resort harassed and intimidated him — a campaign that eventually led to his November 2021 arrest on what the gambler describes as trumped up charges and him being barred from the property. Cipriani believes Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson acted at the behest of Sibella after it became clear the gambler had the goods on the executive’s dirty deeds.
Charges of larceny with a special victim enhancement and robbery against Cipriani were dismissed in May 2022, but acrimony between the gambler and Resorts World lingers.
“A federal RICO suit against Resorts World and all of the executives involved in having me arrested may be the only way people will be held accountable for all their wrongdoings,” Cipriani told Casino.org.
He said that suit could include Kok Thay (KT) Lim, the chairman of Genting Group, the Malaysian conglomerate that owns the Resorts World casinos and Scott Sibella ‘s attorney David Chesnoff who was also a vendor at Resorts World Casino.
What’s Next in Cipriani/Resorts World Saga?
With Nix and LeForbes awaiting sentencing and Bowyer now sentenced, the next chapters in the Resorts World Las Vegas soap opera could be the filing of Cipriani’s RICO suit or sentencing of LeForbes, which is scheduled for December.
As for Sibella, his LinkedIn profile indicates he hasn’t worked in the gaming industry (or elsewhere) since being sent packing by Resorts World Las Vegas in 2023. Prior to his time at Resorts World, Sibella worked for MGM Resorts International for approximately two decades.
Over six years ago, in 2019, towards the tail end of Sibella’s time as President of MGM Grand, Cipriani notified then CEO Jim Murren, the Nevada FBI and the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) regarding improprieties taking place at MGM Las Vegas properties, alleging that Sibella wasn’t just aware of that behavior, but encouraged it.
Cipriani went on to say, “Scott Sibella was one of the dirtiest, yet protected casino executives in the history of Vegas. Any casino who even thinks about hiring Sibella for any position at all, including a valet or busboy should be put on notice. He’s a convicted felon and nothing good will come from Sibella working at any casino. He’s been exposed but should have went to jail for what he did. He knows that. Go off into the sunset with all your ill-gotten gains and have a good life. Your casino days are over Scotty boy. You won’t be able to take advantage of your connections with Governor Lombardo, your attorney David Chesnoff, Wolfson, and many others in the circle jerk crew of Las Vegas, Adios!!!”
