Scott Sibella Sentenced in Money Laundering Case

By John Isaac,
Editor at online-gambling.com

John Isaac Editor at online-gambling.com

John Isaac is an editor with many years of experience in the gambling industry. He writes expert articles on card games like blackjack and poker. In addition, he is also well aware of the US gambling laws and the Indian and Dutch gambling markets. You can rely on verified information and insightful details.

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Last updated: May 29, 2024

Scott Sibella, a former executive at MGM, was finally sentenced as a part of his ongoing money laundering case within the US District Court for the Central District of California this month.

Sibella was accused and ultimately found guilty of giving Wayne Nix, an illegal bookmaker, $120,000. In return, Nix gave Sibella a casino marker. Nix is known to have conducted an illegal gambling ring, and Sibella would have known Nix’s background when agreed to the deal.

The main legal issue at the heart of this trial is that when this deal occurred, Sibella did not file a SAR, or a suspicious activity report, which was a clear violation of his responsibilities as an MGM executive. In fact, multiple incidents occurred around Nix, which would have warranted the filing of a SAR. Any bet over $5,000 should have been flagged, and he bet $5 million on the Super Bowl in 2019 as an example.

Instead of filing any SARs, Sibella turned a blind eye and continued gifting Nix perks for his patronage of MGM.

Sibella’s sentence

Ultimately, Sibella got off fairly lightly in comparison to what could have been. Judge Dolly M. Gee ordered him to pay a $9,500 fine and to pay $100 for a special assessment. He will also be on probation for 12 months.

The consequences could have been much more grave for Sibella. He faced up to five years in prison and a fine of as much as $250,000. However, the judge took into account many factors. Sibella had no prior record, he had not been engaged in this type of behavior previously, he had done good in his community, and he offered what seemed like a sincere apology in return for his crime.

Apparently, the judge also received at least 80 letters from various associates of Sibella, which spoke on behalf of him and his good character. It seems these letters of support helped her in her judging decision, which followed set guidelines but could have resulted in four different tiers of punishment.

Sibella shows signs of remorse

Reports from the hearing state that the event was over quickly, as the sentencing was handed down in less than 20 minutes. Sibella was also able to say a few short words to the judge and the court, as well as the few onlookers who were present.

He stated: “I want to apologize to the court, my family, my friends, the casino industry. Committing this crime has turned my life upside down and I look forward to moving forward. And I promise you will never see me in this court for anything like this again.”

After the trial ended, Sibella did not speak to the media representatives there, nor did his lawyer on record. However, afterwards, a prepared statement was shared from his legal team. In it, Sibella echoed his earlier remorse in court, and stated that he has been grateful for the support of loved ones who have stood by him.