Nevada Gaming Commission adds illegal bookmaker Mathew Bowyer to Black Book

The Nevada Gaming Commission voted unanimously on Thursday to add Mathew Bowyer to the state’s List of Excluded Persons, widely known as the “Black Book,” permanently barring him from entering casinos across Nevada.

Bowyer, a Southern California resident and former illegal bookmaker, becomes the 39th individual currently listed. The decision follows his ties to a high-profile gambling case involving Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. 

Federal and Nevada investigations into money laundering later led to multimillion-dollar fines for several Las Vegas Strip casinos and executives. Bowyer was named in those cases alongside other illegal bookmakers. In total, fines against MGM Resorts, Wynn Resorts, Caesars Palace, and Resorts World exceeded $30 million.

Commissioner Brian Krolicki called the enforcement action “critical closure on this chapter of compliance failure” and criticized Bowyer as damaging to Nevada’s gaming reputation.

Bowyer neither attended nor contested the hearing, which was held in Las Vegas with remote participation from Carson City.

In a statement to Gambling.com, Bowyer said he accepts full responsibility for his actions and the Commission’s ruling. He emphasized personal growth and a commitment to rebuilding his life with “integrity, family, and purpose.”

During the hearing, Nevada Deputy Attorney General Nona Lawrence said Bowyer operated an illegal sports betting business from 2014 to 2023, serving at least 700 clients who wagered tens of millions of dollars. Among them, Mizuhara reportedly bet $324 million and incurred losses of $41 million.

Mizuhara is currently serving nearly five years in prison after pleading guilty to bank and tax fraud involving the theft of approximately $17 million from Ohtani, as per the Associated Press. Major League Baseball later cleared Ohtani of any wrongdoing, identifying him as a victim in the case.

“Mr. Bowyer frequented Las Vegas casinos and used illicit proceeds from his illegal bookmaking business to gamble and pay off casino markers,” said Lawrence during the hearing. “Mr. Bowyer also solicited new customers from casino marketing hosts at the casinos he frequented, including offering a commission or gratuity for customer referrals. Mr. Bowyer admitted that he also solicited valets and other casino employees to feed him clients in return for a fee.”

Bowyer pleaded guilty in May 2024 to federal charges, including operating an illegal gambling business, filing false tax returns, and money laundering. He was sentenced in August 2025 to one year and one day in federal prison and ordered to pay $1.6 million in restitution to the IRS.

He began serving his sentence in October 2025 at a federal facility in Lompoc, California, and was released to a halfway house in March 2026. He is currently under home confinement.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board had earlier nominated Bowyer for inclusion in the Black Book, a move requiring final approval from the Commission.

In a separate decision, the Commission also voted 5-0 to deny a request from Francis “Little Frankie” Citro to be removed from the Black Book.

Citro, 80, has been listed since 1991 following federal felony convictions involving counterfeit credit cards and racketeering. His attorney argued that he no longer poses a threat and noted that alleged past associates, including Tony Spilotro, are deceased.

Commissioner Abbi Silver said that while Citro remains barred from major casinos, he is still permitted to perform and gamble in smaller, gaming-restricted establishments across Nevada.

Citro’s bid marked the first attempt by a living individual to be removed from the Black Book. To date, only deceased individuals have been removed from the list.