Illegal bookmaker’s wife could lose license with Las Vegas Strip casino

The wife of an illegal bookmaker in California would lose her license as an independent agent with Resorts World Las Vegas if the Nevada Gaming Commission accepts a stipulation for settlement at its next meeting.

Nicole Bowyer, wife of illegal bookmaker Mathew Bowyer and a registered independent agent at Resorts World, was named in a Nevada Gaming Control Board complaint in mid-August that said she received payment from Resorts World despite knowing that her husband’s source of funds derived, at least in part, from illegal activity.

Mathew Bowyer pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges for running an illegal gambling business that took in unlawful sports bets from several current and former professional athletes, as well as the former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani.

The settlement that would be considered by the five-member Gaming Commission on Thursday in Boulder City would effectively remove Nicole Bowyer from Nevada’s gaming industry for at least five years, after which she could reapply for licensing.

Mathew Bowyer of San Juan Capistrano, California, agreed to plead guilty to a three-count information charging him with operating an unlawful gambling business, money laundering, and subscribing to a false tax return days before the Control Board issued the complaint against his wife. On the same day, the Control Board filed a disciplinary complaint against Resorts World Las Vegas and its affiliated companies, alleging it allowed gamblers with ties to illegal bookmaking and histories of federal felony convictions to play at its casino.

In the 12-count, 31-page complaint, the Control Board said several individuals placed millions of dollars in wagers at Resorts World over several months, damaging the reputation of Nevada’s gaming industry.

It’s unclear whether Nicole Bowyer plans to attend Thursday’s commission meeting.

If the commission agrees to revoke Nicole Bowyer’s license, it would be the second time in two months that the panel approved a license revocation. In December, also in Boulder City, commissioners unanimously approved the revocation of the license of former MGM Grand and Resorts World President Scott Sibella.

The stipulation for settlement the Gaming Commission will consider for Nicole Bowyer says she will admit to all charges brought by the Attorney General’s office, that she’ll voluntarily waive her right to a public hearing on charges and allegations and the right to obtain judicial review of the commission’s decision.

The settlement also says Nicole Bowyer will fully cooperate with the Control Board and any federal, state or local law enforcement or regulatory agency and that information within the settlement could be used on other pending cases under consideration by the board.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.