Mastermind Behind Ohtani Interpreter’s Illegal Bets Added to Nevada’s Infamous ‘Black Book’
Posted on: April 23, 2026, 06:23h.
Last updated on: April 24, 2026, 04:45h.
- Illegal sports bettor Mathew Bowyer was added to Nevada’s “Black Book” of individuals banned from casinos on Thursday
- Major Las Vegas casinos paid over $30 million in money-laundering fines last year due to his illegal activities
- Nevada regulators also denied 80-year-old Frankie Citro’s request for removal from the Black Book
Matthew Bowyer, the illegal bookmaker at the center of the Shohei Ohtani betting scandal, was officially added to Nevada’s “Black Book” Thursday—permanently barring him from every casino in the state.
Unanimously voting to induct Bowyer, the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) also rejected a separate request from Francis “Frankie” Citro Jr., an 80‑year‑old Las Vegas entertainer, for a hearing to remove his name from the Black Book.
Should Have Known Bettor
Bowyer’s decade-long run cemented his status as a gambling pariah after his illegal operation triggered $30 million in money-laundering fines across the Las Vegas Strip.
Bowyer, who is currently serving a one-year federal sentence under house arrest in California, did not appear before the NGC and did not request a hearing. Commissioners said his absence did nothing to blunt the severity of his conduct.
Nevada Deputy Attorney General Nona Lawrence laid out the case in detail.
From 2014 through 2023, Bowyer accepted tens of millions of dollars in illegal sports wagers from more than 700 bettors, she said. He routinely visited Las Vegas casinos, using illicit proceeds to gamble, settle markers, and cultivate new clients.
Lawrence told commissioners that Bowyer even solicited casino hosts, valets, and other employees for customer referrals, offering kickbacks in exchange for introductions.
Oh(tani) No!
Bowyer’s operation burst into national headlines in 2024, when federal prosecutors revealed that he was the bookmaker used by the interpreter who stole $16 million from Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani.
That scandal triggered a wave of regulatory scrutiny in Nevada, ultimately leading to more than $30 million in fines against MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, Wynn Resorts, and Resorts World for anti‑money‑laundering failures.
With this unanimous vote, Bowyer becomes the 39th person ever placed in Nevada’s Black Book — a list reserved for individuals regulators consider permanent threats to the integrity of the state’s gaming industry.
His case is now viewed as a turning point in Nevada gaming history — proof that corporate Las Vegas is capable of behaving a lot more like the mob-run Las Vegas than it likes to admit.
Citro Denied Hearing
Commissioners also rejected Citro’s separate request for a hearing to remove his name from the Black Book. Citro’s attorney argued that his client’s former mob associates are long-dead and that Citro is now a lounge singer.
The panel was unmoved. Commissioner Abbi Silver, a former judge, said Citro’s past conduct still meets the statutory threshold for exclusion and noted that being in the Black Book does not prevent him from performing at Nevada’s thousands of restricted‑license venues.
No comments yet