A top executive at Resorts World Las Vegas has assured members of the Nevada Gaming Control Board that he believes the property’s compliance issues are behind it and steps are in place to lead to a resurgence on the northern Strip.
Carlos Castro, president, secretary and treasurer of Resorts World, was recommended for licensing Thursday by the board during the second day of a two-day meeting. The Nevada Gaming Commission will consider final approval on March 26.
As Castro described his background and answered regulators’ questions, a board member encouraged him to use vacant land at the Strip property to build an arena for use by a possible National Basketball Association expansion team for Las Vegas.
“I think it would be great for the north end of the Strip and for the entire city of Las Vegas and the state for that matter, to have an NBA team here,” board member George Assad said at the hearing.
“And that venue can also be used for concerts and other things as well,” he said. “I saw in the paper the other day that (businessman and former Los Angeles Laker) Magic Johnson met with Governor (Joe) Lombardo and he is interested in moving forward with some type of ownership structure that could bring an NBA team here. I hope Mr. (NBA Commissioner Adam) Silver is listening and watching and we will definitely support an NBA team.”
Potential arena locations
Castro did not comment on the prospect of an arena or a team, but several other Southern Nevada companies have expressed interest in building an NBA-ready arena for a team to be added.
Silver said last month that NBA owners would likely discuss the next step in the expansion process at March meetings. Las Vegas is on the short list of cities being considered for expansion along with Seattle.
Oak View Group has expressed interest in building an NBA-ready arena, first proposing it at Las Vegas Boulevard and Blue Diamond Road, then on land adjacent to the Rio.
Representatives of LVXP, a team of Las Vegas-based real estate professionals, hope to build a 752-foot, 2,605-unit hotel and condominium project with an 18,000-seat arena and a 6,000-seat theater on land between Sahara and Fontainebleau.
MGM Resorts International has also expressed interest in hosting a team at T-Mobile Arena that would be shared with the Vegas Golden Knights NHL hockey team.
Castro told regulators that Resorts World has stepped up its “know your customer” program to prevent money laundering attempts by illegal players. Castro and the Resorts World board, which includes former Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval and former chairman AG Burnett, have authorized Chief Compliance Officer Jennifer Roberts to prevent certain customers from gambling at the property.
“They’re either placed on no-play or if it’s a rough due diligence process on information that we found, then it’s a full property ban,” Castro said. “And Jennifer and her team, the compliance team, have full autonomy in the decision-making process. I know that’s been important to the board and that’s what we’ve put in place. And there are no questions.”
The Nevada Gaming Commission recently made former Minor League baseball player and illegal bookie Wayne Nix the 38th person placed on Nevada’s Excluded Persons List and Mathew Bowyer, who was released from prison this week, has been nominated for inclusion on the list.
Both have been implicated in money laundering at three Las Vegas casinos, including Resorts World, which was fined $10.5 million in 2025 — the second-highest fine ever assessed by Nevada regulators — for allowing illegal players to gamble there.
–
