One player’s long-running battle with Resorts World Las Vegas came to a new level on October 9, as a legal action was submitted in U.S. District Court charging the firm and its previous chairman of lack of care and imposition of emotional distress due to its failure to stop the well-known swindlers and people sentenced for gambling-related offences to play in the casino.

The lawsuit:

Following the official removal of former chairman, Scott Sibella, for supposed breach of policies of the aforementioned deluxe casino and hotel amidst press reports of an occurring investigation by U.S. Homeland Security agents of Las Vegas hotels and IRS Criminal Investigations, involving Resorts World, this new lawsuit was submitted by lawyers David Merrill and Marshall Cole, in the name of California inhabitant Robert J. Cipriani, dubbed “Robin Hood 702” on social media. Additionally, the subpoena related to the aforementioned investigation urges Resorts World to hand over any sorts of communications between previous casino clients and resort officials.

In the lawsuit, Cipriani is described as an “avid gambler, activist, and prolific philanthropist who regularly donates substantial monies to educational, environmental, and poverty alleviating charitable causes, among others.” Interestingly, Cipriani made headlines last year when he was accused with fraud and robbery during his time gambling at the aforementioned hotel-casino, which came after a casino-hotel litigation with sentenced Kizzang deceiver and player Robert Alexander, that occurred in November two years ago. However, the accusations were later diminished to “misdemeanor disorderly conduct.”

David Stroj was one of the gamblers at Resorts World Las Vegas:

Cipriani revealed that David Stroj, a sentenced non-legal bookie, was gambling unhindered in the casino. Also, Stroj, via its family member, owned a percentage of the ownership shares in the now-defunct Tacos El Cabron, a fast-food eating place located on the property. But that’s not all; because Cipriani informed management to proceed with allowing Brandon Sattler, a convicted felon charged in a $13 million bankruptcy-fraud scheme, to gamble at said casino-hotel.

As for him, Cirpiani has spent latest months communicating his objective to target management of the Resorts World with many social media posts criticizing the firm’s regulatory rules. Also, he went so far as to call out top casino-hotel officials, involving parent firm Genting Group’s Chairman K.T. Lim, because they didn’t do their duty on the matter, even after Sibella’s was kicked out of the firm and said gamblers were excluded.

Although Sibella was released of regulatory violations in February after an inquiry by the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) that lasted for a year, it had no effect on Cipriani’s ongoing criticism. In this regard, on October 9th, he posted the following on X (previously known as Twitter): “FEDERAL LAWSUIT filed today against Resorts World Las Vegas and Scott Sibella, proving everything I said in an email to KT Lim 2 years ago was all true. But KT Lim did nothing! I can’t wait to expose all these dirty, corrupt, casino executives!”

Colby Williams, Sibella’s lawyer, quickly responded to the lawsuit in a statement that read: “While we are still reviewing Mr. Cipriani’s complaint, it appears to be the latest rehashing of allegations against Resorts World and Mr. Sibella that have been thoroughly investigated and determined to be baseless by Nevada gaming authorities and others. Now that Mr. Cipriani has chosen to pursue these matters in federal court, we look forward to establishing their lack of merit in that forum as well.” In addition, according to the lawsuit: “Mr. Cipriani believes that criminals should not be permitted to gamble stolen and ill-gotten monies in Las Vegas casinos, and further believes that casinos should comply with their Anti-Money Laundering and due-diligence obligations. Accordingly, when Mr. Cipriani becomes aware that someone is betting misappropriated funds, he does what is right and notifies the appropriate authorities and persons responsible for ensuring clean gambling, the preservation of stolen funds, and the safety of casino patrons.”

Additional charges:

Cipriani’s additional accusations listed in the lawsuit are:

  • the firm did not respond to the information he offered;
  • specifically singles out Sibella for taking no action after being informed “on multiple occasions of the continued presence of gamblers with criminal records, pending criminal charges, or who are otherwise the focus of law-enforcement investigation at RWLV’s tables,” in compliance with information stipulated in the lawsuit;
  • the “irreparable harm” that Sibella and the firm caused him by their passivity.

On that note, Colby Williams added according to CDC Gaming Reports: “Not only was Mr. Cipriani charged with larceny, a subsequent robbery charge was added to Mr. Cipriani’s indictment over four months after the arrest – a violent crime and category B felony carrying a minimum sentence of two years of imprisonment with an enhancement charge for a purportedly vulnerable victim. … It was not until May 4, 2022, almost six months after Mr. Cipriani’s arrest, that these charges were duly dropped.” However, before the felony charges were dismissed, the Clark County District Attorney’s office sought to increase Cipriani’s bail conditions, accusing him of conducting “a campaign to smear this person [Sibella], for the sole purpose of getting the casino/hotel to lift their trespass order and, presumably, to influence the criminal case.”

Furthermore, the legal case involves more evidence that tries to show that Cipriani is talking to the firm’s officials and notifies them about problem gamblers in their environment.

When called for comment, Resort’s World General Counsel didn’t respond before deadline. However, the firm formerly said via its spokespersons that it “maintained compliance with all gaming regulations.” Relatedly, when Sibella was also asked for comment via SMS, he gave a terse reply that read in part: “Harassing is an understatement.”