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Genting’s New York License threatened by Ohtani scandal
Genting‘s hopes of getting a casino license in New York City are seriously jeopardized by the investigation into Ippei Mizuhara’s illicit sports betting, especially given his connections to Genting’s Resorts World Las Vegas.
Mizuhara was once close to Los Angeles Dodgers star Shoei Ohtani. It is said that Mizuhara stole money from Ohtani and used some of it for illegal gambling.
Investigators believe Mizuhara made financial deposits into accounts at Pechanga Resort Casino, a Southern California tribal gambling establishment, and Resorts World Las Vegas. These were then used to buy casino chips, and the money that was left over was sent to a bookmaker in California named Mathew Bowyer, who was allegedly owed money by Mizuhara. Although an internal Resorts World Las Vegas letter indicates that Mizuhara did not go there frequently, Bowyer was said to be a regular customer and was purportedly responsible for large losses of roughly eight million dollars between June 2022 and October 2023.
The potential repercussions arising from the Mizuhara matter may be damaging to Genting’s application for a New York City casino license. Resorts World New York in Queens, Genting’s current establishment, had at first been considered a serious candidate for one of the three permits available, despite the slow development of the licensing procedure. Resorts World New York has been a very profitable slots-only venue since its founding in 2011 and has given the state’s public educational institutions in total of four billion dollars. Experts warn, meanwhile, that reputation matters a lot when it comes to casino licenses, and a scandal this big might damage Genting’s reputation with regulators.
In addition, Scott Sibella, a significant player in Genting’s operations and the former president of Resorts World Las Vegas, might make things even more difficult. The Nevada Gaming Control Board recently disciplined Sibella for permitting unlawful bookmaking operations at MGM Grand, raising questions about his managerial style. His departure from the Genting property and his previous affiliation with MGM Resorts International cast doubt on his ability to have an impact on Genting’s New York initiatives.
The combination of these problems—Mizuhara’s supposed misconduct and Sibella’s regulatory problems, among others—could make Genting’s application for a New York City casino license more difficult. Although MGM’s Empire City Casino in Yonkers has also been seen as a front-runner for a license, regulators and stakeholders are closely monitoring both businesses. In the end, the licensing process’s result could depend on more than just financial sustainability.
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