State gaming regulators make inquiry into statements about gambler

“This is not a formal investigation at this point,” said Michael Lawton, a Nevada Gaming Control Board research analyst who also serves as a spokesman for the board.

Board investigators are expected to determine whether convicted illegal bookmaker David Stroj violated terms of a three-year supervised release after he was sentenced in a 2018 federal case and whether Stroj holds an ownership position with Tacos El Cabron, a food outlet within Resorts World.

Regulators could punish Resorts World if it’s determined that it is connected to a convicted illegal gambler.

Stroj’s alleged connections to the restaurant were mentioned by gambler Brandon Sattler in a sworn deposition in an unrelated bankruptcy fraud litigation earlier this month. Attempts to contact Stroj have been unsuccessful.

Resorts World officials self-reported Stroj’s possible connection to the restaurant earlier this year. Stroj’s father is a manager at Tacos El Cabron. The matter came up in March when Scott Sibella, president of the $4.3 billion resort that opened on the Strip in June, appeared before the Gaming Control Board and the Nevada Gaming Commission in a licensing suitability hearing.

“When we were first notified that in a deposition these claims were made, we immediately reached out to the Gaming Control Board with the full understanding that they would want to look into this matter,” a spokeswoman for Resorts World said in an emailed statement to the Review-Journal.

“Resorts World Las Vegas conducts thorough background and due diligence checks with all of our tenants,” she said. “If we, along with gaming regulators, discover any new material information that may have a bearing on our tenant’s suitability, we will act immediately to ensure full compliance with all gaming authorities.”

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.