Nevada’s notorious barred list grew to 38 people Thursday after the Nevada Gaming Commission voted unanimously to ban former Minor League baseball pitcher Wayne Nix from Nevada casinos.
It took commissioners less than 15 minutes to decide whether to place Nix on the list, known as Nevada’s “black book,” in an uncontested hearing.
Nix, of Newport Coast, Calif., is an illegal bookie whose casino games at the MGM Grand, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and other MGM Resort properties led former MGM Grand President Scott Sibella to plead guilty to failing to report to federal officials about illegal gamblers playing at the casino while he worked there in 2018.
Sibella was sentenced on May 8, 2024 to one year of probation and fined $9,500 plus a $100 special assessment for violating the federal Bank Secrecy Act, which was established to prevent money laundering in financial institutions. U.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee handed down the sentence in the Central District Court of California in downtown Los Angeles.
Sibella’s Nevada gaming license was revoked by the commission in December 2024.
Nix awaits them next month in California. He did not attend Thursday’s hearing, but had been notified of his candidacy in December.
Assistant Attorney General Michael Sompes told commissioners that Nix qualified for inclusion on the list for having met four criteria and needed only one to qualify to be listed.
Sompes said Nix has been convicted of a felony under federal law, has been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude, has violated the gaming laws of the state of California, and has a notorious or unsavory reputation that would adversely affect public trust and confidence that the gaming industry is free from criminal or corrupt elements.
“Mr. Nix is a convicted and known illegal bookie who operated an illegal bookmaking operation out of California, taking bets on the outcome of sporting events from various individuals at agreed odds using offshore betting websites,” Sompes told the commission.
“Over the course of at least six years, from 2014 to 2020, Mr. Nix took millions of dollars in illegal wagers. In addition, Mr. Nix visited Las Vegas casinos and used the illegal proceeds from his illegal bookmaking business to gamble millions of dollars and pay off casino markers.
“Mr. Nix also solicited new clients from casino marketing hosts at casinos he visited, including offering a commission in compensation for client referrals. Mr. Nix also associated with Scott Sibella, the former president of the MGM brand, who is now a revoked licensee. He associated with MGM casino hosts and with Cosmopolitan casino hosts, and anyone who knew Nix was an illegal host to allow Mr. to present and use illegal revenue.”
Nix’s inclusion on the list is the first of what is expected to be a series of changes for Black Book.
In the coming months, the commission is expected to act on another nominee, convicted illegal bookie Mathew Bowyer, who is incarcerated in a federal prison in Lompoc, California, but will be released to a halfway house next month and is not expected to oppose listing.
Commissioners are also expected to consider a request for a hearing from Las Vegas resident Francis Citro, who is on the list but is seeking removal after being placed there on Nov. 21, 1991. In his petition to the commission, Citro says he is a changed man and is trying to become an entertainer, possibly in a casino lounge.
There are also at least two people on the list who have died, but commissioners always seek verification of deaths before removing them from the list. They are William Gene Land, of Las Vegas, listed September 21, 1988, and Anargyros Karabourniotis, Las Vegas, listed September 17, 2015.
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