An ESPN report published on Wednesday revealed “Real Housewives” cast member Ryan Boyajian as the bookmaking associate Ohtani translator Ippei Mizuhara wired money to. Months prior, vigilante gambler and Vegas insider RJ Cipriani (aka Robin Hood 702) had tweeted about the possible connection between the bookmaker, Boyajian, and Resorts World Las Vegas (RWLV).
Many of Cipirani’s predictions and accusations have been borne out. Before the Boyajian tweet, he had sounded the alarm over alleged behavior by former MGM Grand and Resorts World president Scott Sibella. Resorts World fired Sibella for unspecified internal policy violations shortly before a federal investigation into Vegas casinos, and Sibella became public last fall.
Why are Ryan Boyajian and Dennis Yune (not shown) still gambling and hanging at @ResortsWorldLV?
I'm hearing both are known business associates of barred Illegal Bookmaker Matt Bowyer.
Tanya Henderson VP of Compliance at Resorts World Las Vegas, are you reading this?@VitalVegas pic.twitter.com/RnGEgiXpeR— Robin Hood 702 (@robinhood702) October 26, 2023
Lawyer Claims Boyajian Not a Bookmaker
Part of that case culminated this week, with Sibella sentenced to one year of probation, a $9,500 fine, and 200 hours of community service. However, despite allegations from his stint at RWLV, he only pled to a single charge of violating the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) while at MGM. Specifically, Sibella admitted purposefully not filing a suspicious activity report on VIP (and known illegal bookmaker) Wayne Nix.
Notably, the October timing on Cipriani’s tweet indicates that Sibella’s September dismissal didn’t immediately end questionable activities at RWLV.
On X, Cipriani expressed disappointment at Sibella’s sentence, calling the outcome “a travesty of justice.”
In another X-post on May 9, Cipriani claimed Boyajian “blew almost $4M” at Resorts World alone and wondered what he lost at other casinos. He also questioned why the IRS would grant Boyajian immunity and speculated he must have valuable information to the feds.
According to ESPN, the latter must be true. Multiple sources have said Boyajian has received immunity for his testimony, though law enforcement has declined to comment or confirm.
However, Boyajian’s attorney, Steven Katzman, told ESPN only that his client is working with authorities and that he is not an illegal bookmaker.
Said Katzman:
Because there is an active investigation and Ryan is working with the authorities, he can’t confirm or deny what is going on. He is not a bookmaker or a sub-bookie.
Sibella Faces Further Investigation
While Boyajian’s lawyer is less than forthcoming, some details are already known.
On Wednesday, Mizuhara reached a plea agreement over stealing over $16 million from baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani to fund his gambling habits.
As first reported by ESPN, illegal bookmaker Mathew Bowyer told Mizuhara to wire another associate money to cover his gambling debts. Now, ESPN’s latest has revealed that the associate was Boyajian, a close friend and associate of Bowyer’s for nearly 20 years.
Reportedly, after receiving Mizuhara’s payments, Boyajian would forward the money to personal “marker” accounts at RWLV and California’s Pechanga Resort Casino. From there, ESPN alleges Boyajian and Bowyer would withdraw the chips, gamble, and cash out if they won.
According to ESPN, Boyajian and Bowyer often gambled together at Resorts World, receiving high-value “comps” from their casino host. For a time, Resorts World even permitted Bowyer’s wife, Nicole, to act as his host, which means she earned a commission on the money gambled. Essentially, that would allow Bowyer to recoup some loss.
Despite all that, it seems Boyajian now has immunity. Further, Bowyer is not yet facing any charges, signaling that he’s possibly collaborating with authorities too.
Unfortunately for Sibella, despite the minor penalties received for his plea, he also lost his position at Resorts World—and there’s potentially more hurt on the horizon.
Despite being cleared by Nevada regulators in 2023 over allegations of impropriety at RWLV, he’s under investigation again, thanks to his guilty plea. This time, the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) has asked the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) to investigate Sibella’s conduct at the MGM Grand.
Meanwhile, Sibella and RWLV face a lawsuit by Cipriani alleging that Sibella retaliated against him for calling attention to illegal bookmakers gambling at the property.
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