The regulatory landscape surrounding gaming is an ever-changing field, but one operators and suppliers alike must properly navigate to ensure compliance is consistently met. Especially in cases of anti-money laundering (AML) violations, a central theme typically encapsulates the industry: actions have consequences.
Due to AML violations from MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment, Resorts World Las Vegas and Wynn Resorts, the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) and state Gaming Commission introduced heightened measures on April 23. While the additional regulations may help prevent future infringements, the Federal Government’s maintained authority over AML violations leaves questions as to how much effect the new policies will actually have.
What motivated Nevada regulators to unveil new AML requirements?
When the NGCB and Nevada Gaming Commission met on April 23, the introduction of new AML measures was not the only piece of business handled by both parties on the day. Coincidentally, convicted illegal bookmaker and money launderer Mathew Bowyer had been added to the state’s “Black Book,” which prohibits individuals from entering any commercial gaming establishments.
Bowyer pleaded guilty to federal charges of running an illegal gambling business, money laundering and filing a false tax return in 2023. His actions also resulted in multiple fines handed down by the NGCB and Nevada Gaming Commission, including to MGM Resorts, Caesars and Resorts World Las Vegas. Each of the operators had failed to report Bowyer’s activity and were ultimately given fines totaling over $25m between the three parties, while Wynn Resorts was fined $5.5m for unregistered international money transfers.
Addressing the need for heightened AML regulations as a result of the infractions, NGCB Chairman Mike Dreitzer said: “As has been well documented, we’ve had a rather eventful and difficult year in the area of money laundering, and I think it’s actually rather appropriate, given the other matters heard before the Commission today, that we take up these regulations.
Will the increased regulatory oversight of AML programs work in Nevada? For lack of a better response, it has to
“We heard and saw loud and clear that there were, shall we say, limitations and concerns with AML. We’re creating these tools that will enable the AML officers and the compliance professionals to have what they need to make better choices, better decisions.”
While Dreitzer and fellow regulators can’t be blamed for wanting more information on how AML compliance is being met, some are left to wonder if the new regulations are a sign of the NGCB playing catch up to the violations witnessed during 2025.
According to the NGCB Chairman, previous AML framework in Nevada left regulators in a reactive position and unable to prevent violations from occurring until it was already under federal investigation.
Global Gaming Insider reached out to Dreitzer for this article, to which he responded: “Compliance is a cornerstone of good business practice. When we give all licensees the same enhanced tools, we create a level playing field that will strengthen industry-wide compliance practices, ultimately driving quality commerce with stability and predictability going forward.”
Whether the new policies will accomplish Dreitzer’s goal remains to be seen, especially if operators continue to worry more about federal repercussions rather than those on the state level.
Where will the new regulations come into play for AML programs?
Under new protocols, the NGCB will review and approve individuals to oversee operator AML programs, as well as require casinos to report incidents of an employee being fired due to AML policy violations. AML compliance agents will be required to obtain licensure from the NGCB and Nevada Gaming Commission, while the new regulations also introduce annual AML training initiatives and stricter rules on when related personnel can be compensated by operators.
An important note highlighted by Dreitzer is the ability for operators to share information with the NGCB and Nevada Gaming Commission through a new federal program, increasing the chances of catching potential AML violations prior to infringement. The regulations came after a near year-long collaboration between the NGCB, Nevada Gaming Commission, casino operators and the Nevada Resort Association.
“From the perspective of the NGCB,” Dreitzer tells us, “regulation is a continuous improvement project.
“By collaborating with the industry and listening to their concerns, while at the same time getting input from AML experts, we were able to propose and secure approval for a comprehensive AML package that we believe will drive meaningful change for years to come.”
To make better sense of the new measures, regulators want to alter the behavior shown by operators when it comes to AML compliance toward a greater sense of collaboration with state bodies. Is that due to being taken by surprise on more than one occasion in 2025, or because regulators genuinely feel this represents the best path forward in preventing future violations?
At the same time, bringing forth additional requirements upon operators forces regulators into a more proactive position, given any future violations will come with even greater questions into how AML schemes were initiated in the first place.
Mike Dreitzer, NGCB Chairman: We heard and saw loud and clear that there were, shall we say, limitations and concerns with AML. Were creating these tools that will enable the AML officers and the compliance professionals to have what they need to make better choices, better decisions
While not to say regulators were embarrassed by the amount of AML violations discovered in 2025, it’s certainly eye-catching to see over $30m in fines handed down to some of the most high-profile operators on the Las Vegas Strip. The need for heightened AML requirements was no secret in Las Vegas, but that doesn’t necessarily mean operators will start handing over information to regulatory bodies which still have to await federal oversight.
Theoretically, the new measures should better protect both sides of the regulatory coin, but operators have to be willing to work with the NGCB and Nevada Gaming Commission to help prevent future AML violations.
Will the increased regulatory oversight of AML programs work in Nevada?
For lack of a better response, it has to. When venturing down the Las Vegas Strip, tourists and residents shouldn’t be able to count the fines operators have paid in AML violations. The NGCB and Nevada Gaming Commission should also not be taken by surprise when a scheme as grand as Bowyer’s is brought to attention.
While it could take some time for operators to adjust to a future of trading intelligence with regulators, the initiative represents a needed path forward in identifying whether these compliance efforts are genuinely effective.
To shift the focus on operators more directly, these additional regulations can only work if the property’s respective AML program is functioning at a high-level. MGM Resorts, Resorts World, Caesars and Wynn were all unable to discover the problem building right under their noses, and sending information to Dreitzer and company may not serve as the only method of sniffing out future plots.
Reshaping the framework around AML compliance doesn’t fully eliminate the blind spots which can be discovered by perpetrators such as Bowyer and Nix, but it does widen the scope of how regulators can ensure the future of AML compliance is protected across Las Vegas.
The only questions left are just how immediate this shift in ideology will come for operators, and whether the heightened measures can set a better moral precedent across Sin City.
Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo appointed civil litigator Richard Schonfeld as a new member of the Nevada Gaming Commission on April 8, having practiced law in the state for over 27 years
