Wynn Resorts Pays $130 Million in Fines

 

A settlement has just taken place that is turning the Las Vegas Strip and the US Gambling industry on its head. This is because Wynn Resorts Pays $130 Million in Fines to Federal authorities. This is because it admits letting unlicensed money transfer companies to channel funds to gamblers at its premier property on the Las Vegas Strip.

The publicly traded entity announced that a non-prosecution agreement finalized on Friday reflects a monetary amount identified by the U.S. Justice Department as “funds involved in the transactions at issue” at the Wynn Las Vegas resort.

In communications to the media and the federal Securities and Exchange Commission, the company clarified that the forfeiture does not constitute a fine and that the findings from the decade-long investigation do not equate to money laundering.

U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath in San Diego remarked that the settlement underscores the accountability of casinos that permit foreign patrons to circumvent U.S. laws. She noted that the $130 million forfeiture is believed to be the largest ever imposed on a casino “based on admissions of criminal wrongdoing.”

Wynn Resorts stated that it has terminated all associations with individuals and entities implicated in what the government described as “convoluted transactions” abroad.

“Several former employees facilitated the use of unlicensed money transmitting businesses, which violated both our internal policies and the law, and for which we accept responsibility,” the company conveyed in a statement to The Associated Press on Saturday. Engaging in bookmaking is centered on achieving two primary objectives: increasing profits and reducing risks.

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Wynn Resorts Pays $130 Million in Fines in a Settlement with the Justice Department

According to Bookie Pay Per Head Solutions, the Justice Department outlined various methods allegedly employed to facilitate the transfer of funds between Wynn Las Vegas and individuals in China and other nations.

One method, referred to as “Flying Money,” involved an unlicensed money broker utilizing multiple foreign bank accounts to send money to the casino for a patron who was unable to access cash in the United States.

Another method included a person known as a “Human Head” who placed bets at the casino under the guidance of another individual who was either unwilling or unable to gamble due to anti-money laundering regulations and other legal constraints. This is why it is important for bookies to track betting activities.

According to the Justice Department, one individual, acting as an independent representative for the casino, executed over 200 money transfers totaling nearly $18 million through bank accounts managed by Wynn Las Vegas or its affiliated entities on behalf of more than 50 international casino patrons.

Wynn Resorts characterized its agreement with the government as a conclusive measure in a six-year initiative to “fully move past legacy issues and concentrate on our future.” The SEC filing indicated that the investigation commenced around 2014.

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Former Wynn Resorts CEO, Steve Wynn Has not Comments about the matter

While the name of former CEO Steve Wynn was not mentioned, the parent company has been embroiled in legal challenges related to his exit following the emergence of sexual misconduct allegations first reported by the Wall Street Journal in 2018.

Attorneys representing Wynn in Las Vegas did not respond to inquiries on Saturday regarding the company’s settlement.

Now 82 years old and residing in Florida, Wynn has stated that he has severed all ties with the company that bears his name. He has consistently denied any allegations of sexual misconduct.

The billionaire, who developed a luxury casino empire in Las Vegas, Massachusetts, Mississippi, and the Chinese gambling hub of Macao, resigned from Wynn Resorts after the allegations surfaced, divested his shares in the company, and stepped down from the corporate board.