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- Former Resorts World Las Vegas anti-money-laundering executive Preston Banks filed a federal wrongful termination lawsuit alleging he was fired in retaliation for whistleblowing about unverified international high rollers and suspicious gambling activity.
- The complaint claims the casino delayed action on unverified players from Latin America and Europe despite dozens of filed suspicious activity reports, while Resorts World has strongly denied the allegations and called the lawsuit frivolous.
A former Resorts World Las Vegas anti-money-laundering executive has sued the casino in U.S. District Court, alleging he was wrongfully terminated for whistleblowing about suspicious gambling activity.
The lawsuit, filed Monday by Preston Banks, claims Resorts World retaliated against him in violation of the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 after he raised concerns internally about a growing group of international customers whose finances and casino credit details could not be verified. The case matters because it puts a major Las Vegas and online casino operator’s AML controls and internal response to suspicious activity under scrutiny.
Banks is seeking reinstatement or front pay, 200% back pay with interest, compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees.
Complaint centers on suspicious play and delayed enforcement
According to the complaint, Banks joined Resorts World in September 2022 after about 16 years at the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN.
He alleges that he identified a small group of international clients, most of them from Argentina, who could not verify their sources of income and whose names or details could not be found on casino credit applications. By 2024, that group had grown to 60-150 people from Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay, Italy and Spain, according to the lawsuit.
The complaint says the group’s activity included unverified funds, credit fraud, third-party payments, coordinated wagering, chip passing, chip walking, bankrolling, offsetting bets and bill-stuffing. By September 2024, more than 50 suspicious activity reports tied to the group had been filed, Banks alleges.
Banks says he recommended enforcement measures in 2023, but the casino’s anti-money-laundering committee delayed action. The complaint also alleges that executive vice president of casino operations Al Meranto described the gambling behavior as “cultural.”
Resorts World denies allegations and calls suit frivolous
The lawsuit says Resorts World later banned 28 customers linked to credit fraud and shared their account information with the Clark County district attorney on Sept. 11. It also says the company hoped to collect $12 million to $13 million in unpaid debt.
Banks alleges that near the end of that month, he learned he had been fired and that his supervisor and HR director told him the termination was because of the illegal gambling scheme he had identified.
Resorts World denied the claims. In a statement cited by the source report, the company said: “It is unfortunate that Mr. Banks has elected to file this frivolous action relating to the termination of his employment,” and added, “Resorts World strongly denies the allegations and characterizations in the lawsuit.”
The operator also said, “We look forward to addressing these claims in the appropriate forum and have no further comment.”
What comes next is the court process. The source report did not identify a case number or specify any upcoming hearing date, though the outcome could have broader implications for regulatory oversight and responsible gaming compliance across the industry.
Source: As reported by Grant Mitchell.
