The Nevada Gaming Fee has voted unanimously so as to add unlawful bookmaker Mathew Bowyer to the state’s Record of Excluded Individuals, whereas additionally denying Francis “Frankie” Citro Jr. a listening to to hunt removing from the identical record.
The choices got here throughout a Thursday assembly centered on two very totally different figures tied to Nevada gaming historical past. Bowyer, a California-based bookmaker linked to unlawful betting and cash laundering investigations, grew to become the thirty ninth particular person positioned within the state’s so-called Black Ebook. Citro, an 80-year-old Las Vegas entertainer who has been excluded from main casinos since 1991, did not persuade commissioners that he deserved a proper listening to.
The Black Ebook completely bars listed people from Nevada casinos that supply unrestricted gaming, together with venues with desk video games, sportsbooks, and race books.
Bowyer Added After Unlawful Bookmaking Case
Bowyer didn’t attend the listening to and didn’t request a listening to to contest his placement on the record. Commissioners acted shortly on his case, approving his exclusion in lower than 20 minutes.
His title grew to become broadly recognized after the Main League Baseball betting scandal involving Ippei Mizuhara, the previous interpreter and de facto agent for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. Bowyer was recognized because the bookmaker utilized by Mizuhara, who stole $16 million from Ohtani.
At Thursday’s listening to, Nona Lawrence of the Nevada Legal professional Basic’s Workplace mentioned Bowyer took tens of tens of millions of {dollars} in unlawful wagers from a minimum of 700 bettors between 2014 and 2023. She additionally mentioned he frequented Las Vegas casinos and used unlawful proceeds to gamble and pay on line casino markers.
“Over the course of a minimum of 9 years, from 2014 to 2023, Mr. Bowyer took tens of million of {dollars} in unlawful wagers from a minimum of 700 bettors,” Lawrence mentioned. “Additional, Mr. Bowyer frequented Las Vegas casinos and used illicit proceeds from his unlawful bookmaking enterprise to gamble and repay on line casino markers.”
Lawrence additionally mentioned Bowyer solicited clients by on line casino advertising hosts and provided commissions or gratuities for referrals. She mentioned he admitted to looking for purchasers by valets and different on line casino workers in trade for a payment.
Bowyer beforehand pleaded responsible to working an unlawful playing enterprise, cash laundering and submitting a false tax return. His conduct later grew to become a part of disciplinary actions towards main on line casino corporations. MGM Resorts Worldwide, Caesars Leisure and Resorts World Las Vegas paid a mixed $26.8 million in fines in 2025, whereas different stories positioned fines involving a number of Strip operators above $30 million.
Commissioner Brian Krolicki mentioned Bowyer’s exclusion supplied wanted closure after a sequence of compliance failures.
“Putting Mr. Bowyer on the Record of Excluded Individuals actually supplies important closure on this chapter of compliance failure,” Krolicki mentioned. “My solely remorse is that probably Mr. Bowyer might efficiently monetize his nomination. However nonetheless, we have to proceed, and I absolutely assist the movement (to put him on the record).”
Bowyer has mentioned publicly that he plans to talk about his unlawful bookmaking exercise and has written a e book about his actions. Commissioners criticized that stance.
“It’s fairly conceited of him to be on the market bragging about how he’s going to monetize it,” Commissioner Abbi Silver mentioned.
Citro Fails to Safe Elimination Listening to
The fee additionally rejected Citro’s request for a listening to that would have allowed him to hunt removing from the Black Ebook. Citro has been excluded since 1991, when regulators cited his prison historical past and “infamous and unsavory fame.”
Citro didn’t communicate throughout Thursday’s listening to. His legal professional, Anthony Sgro, argued that his consumer is not the identical particular person he was greater than three many years in the past. Sgro mentioned Citro’s former mob associates are lifeless and that the entertainer now desires to carry out bebop music, Italian people songs, comedy and tales about Las Vegas’ mob previous in on line casino lounges.
“He’s not a gift risk to the gaming group, and there have to be a solution to outline what constitutes that,” Sgro mentioned, in accordance with the Las Vegas Evaluate-Journal. “Actually, 35 years in the past needs to be truthful sport for consideration as as to whether he may now reveal by proof he’s not the identical individual that was placed on the record of excluded individuals.”
Sgro additionally argued that different critical incidents related to Nevada gaming venues had not resulted in Black Ebook listings. He pointed to the 2002 Laughlin River riot, the place three folks died throughout a confrontation between bike gangs, for example of conduct that broken the state’s fame with out leading to comparable exclusion.
Commissioners weren’t persuaded. Silver mentioned Citro’s exclusion doesn’t forestall him from acting at many places with restricted gaming licenses.
“I acknowledge that point has handed and I commend him for performing some group service some years in the past in addition to another admirable acts since he’s been positioned within the Black Ebook,” Silver mentioned. “However critically, a denial of a listening to by this fee doesn’t deprive him of his capability to entertain folks, not to mention deprive him of any constitutional proper.”
She mentioned Nevada has greater than 2,000 restricted-license places the place Citro can eat, carry out, play slots and spend time with household.
“He simply can’t go into casinos with desk video games, horse racing and sportsbooks,” Silver mentioned.
Commissioners centered closely on Nevada’s gaming fame and the precedent that could possibly be created by permitting a Black Ebook removing effort to proceed.
Silver mentioned she reviewed prior data involving Citro and described conduct tied to extortion and mortgage sharking. She mentioned Citro’s previous associates had mentioned violence towards individuals who couldn’t repay loans at excessive rates of interest.
Commissioner Rosa Solis-Rainey additionally pointed to the long-running picture drawback created by organized crime’s historical past in Las Vegas.
“All now we have is a stain that is still from organized crime in Las Vegas,” Solis-Rainey mentioned earlier than the vote. “We nonetheless get requested if the mob remains to be right here and I don’t assume it sends the precise message to the business (to take away him from the Black Ebook).”
Fee Chair Jennifer Togliatti mentioned Citro had portrayed himself as a sufferer, however she was unwilling to miss the unique foundation for his itemizing.
After the choice, Citro mentioned he was disenchanted and would communicate together with his attorneys about potential subsequent steps.
