There may be many places you want to be in Las Vegas – the VIP line at Hakkasan, the owner’s suite at a Raiders or Golden Knights game – but there is one place where nobody wants their name. The Nevada Gaming Control Board’s List of Excluded Persons – the “Black Book” – is the one list that people who either live in or travel to Las Vegas want to avoid. There was recently an addition to that list, something that has not occurred since 2024 (and surprisingly has been done more recently than many would believe).
Shohei Ohtani Gambling Case Again Rears Its Head
The latest person inducted into the “Black Book” is former minor league pitcher and illegal bookmaker Wayne Nix, who was unanimously voted for inclusion in the NGCB’s infamous ledger. In 2022, Nix pled guilty to federal charges of operating an illegal bookmaking business and filing a false federal tax return. After pleading guilty in 2022, Nix is still awaiting sentencing in that case, with the date set for sometime this month.
In a meeting of the NGCB, Nevada Deputy Attorney General Michael Sompes argued the case for Nix’s banishment from the casino system in the state. Sompes said that not only did Nix violate all four regulatory guidelines that would require Nevada’s gaming leadership to act, but he also violated gaming laws in California. Through the placement in the “Black Book,” Sompes stated that Nix would not be able to affect the integrity of Nevada’s gaming system and continue to maintain the public’s belief in the adjudication of it.
The Nix banishment comes as a ramification of another gaming case that has rattled Las Vegas. In 2018, now former MGM Grand and Resorts World Las Vegas executive Scott Sibella allowed Nix and another notorious gambler, Matthew Bowyer (who was a part of the Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal), to wager millions of dollars. Sibella allegedly knew about the histories of Nix and Bowyer (who is also subject to entry in the “Black Book” as early as this month) but still allowed them to bet millions on the property and did not file the appropriate notification paperwork with the NGCB.
The NGCB took little time to make its decision on the case. In fifteen minutes, the NGCB unanimously voted to include Nix in the “Black Book.” As if reasoning for their actions were necessary, the NGCB cited that Nix had violated all four standards, which usually require only one to be broken to enter the ledger.
How Do You Get in the “Black Book?”
Under Regulation 28 of the Nevada Regulatory Statutes, you will find the rules regarding the NGCB’s duties and responsibilities when it comes to the “Black Book.” That section of Nevada law sets out the four criteria for inclusion on the List of Excluded Persons:
1. Prior state or federal felony convictions – this also counts for guilty pleas, as in Nix’s case.
2. Crimes of moral turpitude – this is not the movie Porky’s, but the gaming industry must have the appearance that they are not an immoral organization. Thus, any crime that is judged to be of “low moral standard” or “offensive to good morals” is considered a reason for exclusion.
3. Violation of gaming laws in any locale – this considers any illegal gaming, such as operating an illegal sports book or allowing for illegal actions to take place.
4. Willful evasion of gaming fees or taxes – basically, not paying your fees for regulation or filing fraudulent tax returns can cause someone to run afoul of this regulation. Remember, all it takes is for a person to violate ONE of these four guidelines. In the case of Nix, he violated all four of the regulations, more than enough for him to earn entry into the “Black Book.”
Nix’s addition to the List of Excluded Persons brings the total number of entries to thirty-eight.
Should Bowyer earn the tag during March, he would become the 39th person to be included in the “Black Book.” For his part, Sibella avoided entry – so far – because of his guilty plea; he received a year of probation at his sentencing in 2024, and relinquished his gaming license (necessary to be employed in most any entity in Nevada gaming) to the NGCB until the end of December 2028, when he will be eligible to reapply for that license.
