A former college athlete turned professional poker player and underground bookmaker could walk away from federal bookmaking and money laundering convictions with probation rather than prison. Damien LeForbes, who wagered roughly $148 million at a Las Vegas casino over a two-year span, is now at the center of a sentencing decision that could reveal how federal courts weigh addiction, cooperation, and the scale of illegal gambling operations against mandatory guideline ranges.
A Guilty Plea With an Unusual Recommendation
LeForbes pleaded guilty in August 2024 to operating an illegal gambling business and money laundering. Federal sentencing guidelines reportedly call for 15 to 21 months behind bars, yet prosecutors have joined his defense team in asking the court to impose probation instead. Their proposal includes four months of home confinement, mandatory attendance at Gamblers Anonymous meetings, individual counseling, a complete gambling ban, and 50 hours of community service. U.S. District Judge Monica Ramirez Almadani has declined to accept the deal outright, instead requesting more information before a rescheduled Dec. 10 hearing. That request signals the court wants clarity on LeForbes' precise role in the operation and how, practically, the proposed conditions would be enforced over time.
The Casino's Role Under Scrutiny
What makes this case notable beyond LeForbes himself is the conduct of the casino where he placed his bets. Nevada gaming regulators found that LeForbes lost more than $10 million at Resorts World over roughly 16 months, and a Nevada Gaming Control Board complaint alleges his casino host knew he was running an illegal bookmaking operation but never escalated that knowledge to management. The host reportedly believed other staff were aware as well, and even steered a prospective client toward LeForbes' betting ring. Despite this, Resorts World kept extending complimentary benefits, promotional chips, and luxury perks to LeForbes until finally banning him in March 2024. The casino later agreed to pay a $10.5 million regulatory penalty tied to anti-money-laundering failures connected to LeForbes and a separate illegal bookmaker, Mathew Bowyer, without admitting wrongdoing.
This points to a structural tension in the casino industry: properties are financially incentivized to retain high-volume bettors through loyalty programs and hospitality, even when red flags about the source or legality of funds should prompt internal review. Anti-money-laundering compliance exists precisely to catch these situations before they become regulatory liabilities, and the Resorts World penalty suggests that internal reporting chains broke down at a basic level.
Comparing Cases: LeForbes and Bowyer
Bowyer, the bookmaker who accepted wagers from Ippei Mizuhara - the former interpreter who stole nearly $17 million from Shohei Ohtani to cover gambling debts - received a sentence of 12 months and one day. LeForbes' attorneys argue his operation was considerably smaller, pointing out that Bowyer's book handled wagers from more than 700 clients totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. Prosecutors and defense counsel jointly described LeForbes' conduct as an "aberration rather than a pattern," citing his cooperation with investigators and a legitimate employment background.
Why This Case Matters
Illegal sports bookmaking remains a persistent problem even as legal sports betting has expanded across the United States. Underground operations can offer different odds, credit terms, or anonymity that legal, regulated sportsbooks cannot provide, and cases like this one show how deeply such networks can intersect with legitimate casino business. For regulators, the Resorts World penalty underscores that compliance failures around high-value patrons carry real financial consequences. For courts, the LeForbes case raises harder questions about how sentencing should account for gambling-related compulsion versus straightforward criminal enterprise. The outcome in December will likely shape how prosecutors approach similar cases involving illegal bookmakers who operate within, rather than entirely outside, the formal casino ecosystem.