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Illegal bookmaker nominated for Nevada’s ‘black book’ by gaming regulators

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Illegal bookmaker nominated for Nevada’s ‘black book’ by gaming regulators


LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The man at the center of state and federal money laundering investigations has been nominated for inclusion in Nevada’s black book — the list of people prohibited from entering a casino in the state.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board voted unanimously to nominate Mathew Bowyer to the list at their Wednesday meeting. Bowyer is currently serving time in federal prison for convictions involving illegal bookmaking and money laundering.

The black book is symbolic of Nevada’s commitment to the integrity of the state’s gaming industry. Convicted cheaters and “unsavory” characters — some with connections to organized crime — are added to the state’s list by regulators. Wednesday’s vote was the first step in listing Bowyer. If he doesn’t request a hearing before the Nevada Gaming Commission, he can be included in the list by another vote at an upcoming meeting.

Mathew Bowyer, who pleaded guilty in 2024 to running an illegal gambling business, money laundering and filing a false tax return, speaks at a news conference outside federal court, Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, in Santa Ana, Calif., following his sentencing to 12 months and one day in prison. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Bowyer’s name surfaced during the investigation into bets made by a man who worked as a translator for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. Ippei Mizuhara was just one of many bettors — estimated at more than 700 people — who placed bets through Bowyer, who operated in California using offshore sports wagering websites.

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Mizuhara was sentenced to four years in prison for stealing $17 million from Otani. Investigators estimate he placed $324 million in wagers with Bowyer, losing just under $41 million.

Investigators said Bowyer “frequented Las Vegas casinos and used illicit proceeds from his illegal bookmaking business to gamble and pay off casino markers,” a description repeated at Wednesday’s meeting by Nevada Deputy Attorney General Nona Lawrence.

She outlined five things in Bowyer’s past that qualify him for inclusion in the black book:

  • convicted of felonies under federal law
  • convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude
  • convicted of a crime that is a violation of the gaming laws of California
  • convicted of willful evasion of taxes
  • he has a notorious or unsavory reputation that would adversely affect public confidence and trust that the gaming industry is free from criminal or corruptive elements

Any one of those is enough to put him on the list.

Bowyer was a central figure in the investigation into money laundering violations at Resorts World Las Vegas, and Nevada gaming regulators have reached agreements that produced fines totaling more than $30 million from Resorts World, MGM Grand, Wynn Las Vegas and Caesars Palace. Those investigations have focused on improper relationships with illegal bookmakers.

Gaming Control Board member George Assad said Bowyer was “thumbing his nose at us” and said the action should send messages that people who launder money through Nevada casinos will be fully prosecuted, and then banned from casinos to protect the gaming industry’s reputation.

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Nevada Gaming Control Board member George Assad speaks during Wednesday’s hearing.

Assad pushed for the nominations of Bowyer and another illegal bookmaker, Wayne Nix, to the black book. Nix was nominated in December.

“The second message should now be very clear to all Nevada gaming licensees, that we will hold them accountable and responsible for lax oversight, whether it be from gross negligence or institutional willful ignorance or just plain stupidity.”

He added, “It is also important that Mr. Bowyer and Mr. Nix be placed in the Nevada black book by the Nevada Gaming Commission to also send a strong message to the federal government and federal politicians that we can clean up our own dirty laundry. There is no need for a federal gaming oversight commission, and there is no need to have a federal gaming tax to pay for such a commission.”



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Nevada

WOW Carwash touts year-round water conservation with recycling tech in Southern Nevada

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WOW Carwash touts year-round water conservation with recycling tech in Southern Nevada


In the desert climate of Southern Nevada, WOW Carwash says it is working year-round to conserve water and reduce its environmental impact, using a combination of water-reclamation technology, biodegradable soaps and energy-efficient equipment.

The Las Vegas-born company says washing a car at home uses roughly 100 gallons of water. By comparison, WOW says it uses about 30 gallons per vehicle and reclaims up to 80% of the water.

WOW says its water-reclamation system exceeds typical local requirements. While local car washes are only required to have one sand and oil separator, WOW says it has four, along with a mud tank and UV filters designed to recycle water, reduce daily water use and ensure no solids are sent to the sewer system.

The company says all water from a WOW Carwash enters a 1,500-gallon mud tank underground at each location to begin separating soils from the water. From there, WOW says the water passes through a series of four sand and oil separators, where oils float to the surface, and soils sink to the bottom. WOW says the cleaned water is then pumped through UV and micron filters to remove remaining contaminants so it can be recycled and reused in the car wash.

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WOW also says it repurposes the dirt washed off vehicles. The company says its water-reclamation tanks are pumped regularly by licensed vacuum trucks to maintain efficiency, and what is pumped out is then utilized as fertilizer.

WOW says all cleaning agents used in its tunnel wash process are environmentally safe and biodegradable, and that the soaps are safe to the human touch and for a vehicle’s paint while still being tough on dirt. The company says the cleaning agents break down naturally, reducing harmful runoff that could otherwise flow into storm drains and local waterways.

To reduce its carbon footprint, WOW says it uses energy-efficient equipment, including Variable Frequency Drives that allow electric motors to “ramp down” when demand is low to reduce electricity use during operations.



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Will a new Nevada law to prevent heat deaths work? Planning is underway

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Will a new Nevada law to prevent heat deaths work? Planning is underway












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Las Vegas Valley governments are writing extreme heat into master plans. Will it prevent deaths? | Environment | News





















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