On June 7, 2026, the Governor of North Carolina, Josh Stein, approved the $34 billion 2026 fiscal year budget, which will introduce a 23% sports betting tax and a new 6% tax...
The Venetian to pay $7.2M settlement over AML failures
The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) has filed a complaint against Las Vegas’ Venetian over anti-money laundering violations, with the casino having agreed to a $7.2 million settlement over failures connected to convicted illegal bookmaker Mathew Bowyer.
The four-count complaint and the settlement agreement were both filed on June 25, 2026, with the NGCB arguing that the Venetian didn’t review Bowyer’s gambling activity from 2019 to 2021 and didn’t appropriately check sources of funds. Lastly, the casino was accused of not banning him despite clear patterns and suspicions of his illegal operations.
The complaint states:
“The State of Nevada, on relation of its NEVADA GAMING CONTROL BOARD, filed a Complaint in NGC Case No.26-01, against VENETIAN LAS VEGAS GAMING, alleging certain violations of the Nevada Gaming Control Act and Regulations of the Nevada Gaming Commission.”
The board revealed that Bowyer visited the Venetian around 30 times between the set timeframe, deposited over $22.3 million, and lost at least $3.6 million. It’s also believed that a casino host clearly knew of Bowyer’s illegal bookmaking but didn’t report it to management.
As a result of the activities, illegal bookmaker Mathew Bowyer faced jail in the betting scandal and received a 12-month prison sentence in August 2025; however, after less than 6 months in a federal prison, Bowyer was released in March 2026.
In addition to the Venetian, other major operators like Caesars, MGM, and Resorts World also previously faced prosecution, with each one agreeing to a multi-million-dollar settlement. The fines on the four casinos combined have now comprised $34 million.
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