High-stakes gambler appeals dismissal of lawsuit against Las Vegas Strip casino, its former boss

Robert “R.J.” Cipriani filed an appeal Thursday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, challenging the dismissal of a lawsuit against Resorts World hotel-casino and its former president Scott Sibella.

Last month, a federal judge in Nevada dismissed Cipriani’s lawsuit in which he alleged Resorts World Las Vegas allowed known felons to gamble and directed another patron to harass and intimidate him after he raised concerns. The six-count lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, barring Cipriani from refiling.

Cipriani, who goes by Robin Hood 702 on X, accused Resorts World and Sibella of negligence, civil conspiracy and intentional infliction of emotional distress. But U.S. District Court Judge Miranda Du concluded Cipriani’s claims lacked sufficient evidence, stating in her dismissal order, “It is not as if the Court merely found some factual allegations lacking but the existing allegations suggest there are other facts out there that would make Cipriani’s claims plausible.”

Cipriani’s attorney, Mitchell Keiter, said they are looking forward to “subjecting the District Court’s questionable analysis to the careful scrutiny of appellate review.”

“We are confident this will produce a different result and allow this case to be heard by a jury, so the strength of Mr. Cipriani’s claims about these very important issues can be decided not by a single judge behind closed doors, but behind but by 12 fair, truth-seeking Nevadans in open court,” Keiter told the Review-Journal.

Resorts World declined to comment Thursday. Sibella said he wanted to consult his legal representation before commenting when reached via text message.

Cipriani said he would not go away quietly.

“As everyone knows, my moniker is Robin Hood 702, which means I don’t give up. I go after bad guys,” he said. “And I will not stop until Resorts World and Scott Sibella are exposed for all the dirty things they’ve done since the beginning.”

Cipriani’s allegations date to November 2021, when he had a contentious encounter at Resorts World involving another gambler, Robert Alexander, a felon. Cipriani alleged that Alexander, a Las Vegas-based businessman convicted of fraud in 2020, was welcomed at the property despite his criminal history. Cipriani’s frustrations culminated in an altercation where he took Alexander’s cellphone, leading to now-dismissed robbery charges against Cipriani.

The lawsuit is not the first controversy tied to Resorts World.

In August, the Nevada Gaming Control Board filed a 12-count complaint against the property, alleging it cultivated a culture of gambling involving individuals with ties to organized crime and illegal bookmaking.

The complaint highlighted incidents involving Mathew Bowyer, an illegal bookmaker connected to Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. Mizuhara reportedly stole nearly $17 million from Ohtani to cover gambling debts. Bowyer, authorities allege, conducted some of his illegal operations while gambling at Resorts World.

The Nevada Gaming Commission has not yet resolved the Gaming Control Board’s complaint.

Sibella, who served as Resorts World’s top executive from 2019 until his departure in September 2023, is under scrutiny. The Nevada Gaming Control Board is investigating his tenure, though details remain undisclosed.

Previously, Sibella admitted to violating the Bank Secrecy Act while president of the MGM Grand hotel-casino, failing to report suspicious transactions tied to another illegal bookmaker.

A three-count Gaming Control Board complaint against Sibella filed in April accusing him of allowing illegal bookmaker Wayne Nix, a former minor-league baseball player, to gamble illegally at the MGM Grand, also is unresolved.

David Danzis can be contacted at ddanzis@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0378. Follow AC2Vegas_Danzis on X.