Pro Poker Player Awaits Sentencing in Vegas Bookmaking Scheme

At the end of August, we reported on the case of a professional poker player from Long Beach, California who admitted to money laundering and running an illegal bookmaking business. 

At the time, Damien LeForbes filed an agreement to plead guilty to the federal charges in Las Vegas and California after previously signing a plea agreement in June.

On Thursday, the 43-year-old man finally entered his guilty plea in the US District Court of Central California. 

Up to 15 Years in Prison
He will be sentenced on January 23 in Los Angeles, facing up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $500,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offenses, according to the US Attorney’s Office.

Court documents reveal that LeForbes ran his illegal sports-betting operation out of a Las Vegas casino, identified as “Casino A.”

Informants indicated that he was a frequent player at Resorts World Las Vegas. His bookmaking business, known in court documents as “the LeForbes Gambling Business,” operated for three years, during which time he took millions of dollars in illegal bets and recruited casino hosts to boost his enterprise. 

Payments were accepted in various forms, including checks, cash, cryptocurrency, and payment processors.

LeForbes signed a plea agreement in June, which was officially filed in August. 

NGCB Filed a Disciplinary Complaint Against Resorts World
Earlier in the same month, the Nevada Gaming Control Board (GCB), which is the state governmental agency involved in the regulation of casinos throughout the state, filed a disciplinary complaint against Resorts World as well as its affiliated companies. 

The agency alleged the casino enabled individuals with connections to illegal bookmaking and federal felony convictions to gamble on its premises. 

The complaint, which has not yet been addressed by the Nevada Gaming Commission, claims that millions of dollars in wagers were placed at Resorts World by these individuals, harming the reputation of Nevada’s gaming industry.

Among those suspected of illegal activities at the casino were several convicted felons, including Chad Iwamoto, convicted in federal court of transmitting wagering information and failing to file a monthly tax return for earnings, Mathew Bowyer, who pleaded guilty in August to running an illegal gambling business, money laundering, and filing a false tax return, and Edwin Ting, convicted in federal court for running an illegal gambling operation and linked to organized crime, all of whom have ties to unlawful gambling operations.

In response to the complaint, a Resorts World spokesperson stated they were “aware” of the board’s complaint and “committed to doing business with the utmost integrity and in compliance with applicable laws and industry guidelines” so they could keep moving forward and focusing on their guests and close to 5,000 staff members.

The investigation followed the court case against ex-Resorts World executive Scott Sibella, who received a sentence for previous anti-money laundering violations.