A beleaguered megaresort on the Strip laid off dozens of employees less than 24 hours before it is scheduled to receive one of the heftiest regulatory punishments in state history.
A beleaguered megaresort on the Strip laid off dozens of employees less than 24 hours before it is scheduled to receive one of the heftiest regulatory punishments in state history.
On Wednesday, Resorts World hotel-casino issued a statement confirming it had “made the difficult decision to restructure a portion of our operations by less than 50 full-time team members,” in an effort to “best position the company.”
“We appreciate the contributions all affected team members have made. This decision is part of our ongoing efforts to optimize efficiency and maximize the exceptional experience we seek to deliver to our guests,” the casino said.
Resorts World Las Vegas and its parent company, Genting Berhad, are scheduled to appear before the Nevada Gaming Commission on Thursday morning in Las Vegas to answer a 10-count disciplinary complaint filed in August by the Nevada Gaming Control Board. The amended complaint alleges that Resorts World failed to fully comply with anti-money laundering regulations by allowing gamblers with ties to illegal bookmaking and histories of federal felony convictions to play.
Resorts World Las Vegas and its affiliated companies will pay a $10.5 million fine, according to a settlement agreement with gaming regulators. If the settlement is approved Thursday by the Gaming Commission, it would result in the second-highest fine ever levied by Nevada regulators.
The settlement with Genting Berhad and five other subsidiaries that operate Resorts World Las Vegas would resolve a 10-count, 27-page complaint initially filed by the Control Board Aug. 15. The amended complaint, filed March 20, removed two counts and any references to “organized crime.”
In addition to the fine, the Strip casino will be required to provide regular reporting of anti-money-laundering activities to the Control Board and provide updated anti-money-laundering training to the resort’s compliance committee.
Resorts World already has begun restructuring its management team, adding former MGM Resorts International Chairman and CEO Jim Murren, former Gaming Control Board Chairman A.G. Burnett, and former Nevada Gaming Commission chairman Brian Sandoval — a former Nevada governor, attorney general and current president of the University of Nevada, Reno — to the company’s board of directors.
The company also named Alex Dixon as CEO in January and, last month, appointed Carlos Castro as chief operating officer and chief financial officer.
