According to a Resorts World Las Vegas spokeswoman, Scott Sibella, president and chief operational officer of the company will be leaving immediately. He “violated the company policies and terms and conditions of his employment”.
Peter LaVoie, senior vice president and chief financial officer at Genting Group’s casino, will replace Sibella as president after her departure.
The spokesperson stated that “Peter’s extensive experience and expert knowledge make him the best person to lead Resorts World Las Vegas during this transition.”
Sibella is the president of the Las Vegas Strip Casino since May 2019. Resorts World Las Vegas named him to replace departing executive Edward Farrell.
Sibella, a casino executive with countless years of experience, helped guide the business from its construction to its opening date in June 2021. Sibella was a senior executive at Golden Nugget Casino, Mirage, MGM Grand Hotel, Treasure Island, and Tropicana before joining Resorts World.
Federal investigation into illegal gambling ring
Resorts World has not provided any information on what exactly Sibella did that caused them to release her.
There is speculation that the departure of the executive may be linked to an ongoing federal investigation into a gambling ring catering to professional athletes.
Former minor-league baseball player Wayne Nix and his long-time partner Edon Yashida Kagasoff led the ring.
Nix plead guilty in April 2022 to two counts of conspiracy to run an illegal gambling business, and to one count for subscribing a false income tax return. The prosecutors have set his sentencing for 6 March, 2024.
The Nevada Current reported last month that the federal investigation into this ring has expanded.
Anonymous sources claim that federal investigators have subpoenaed staff at Resorts World, MGM Grand Las Vegas and other strip casinos in connection with the investigation.
Sibella served as president and chief executive officer of MGM Grand before joining Resorts World.
Employees of the Las Vegas casinos served as agents for Nix’s betting network, recruiting gamblers to join and then taking a percentage of their losses. Agents are investigating whether the casino employees used casino funds to settle gambling debts with Nix.
Homeland Securities Investigations agents and IRS Criminal Investigations are leading the investigation.
