The Nevada Gaming Commission played two distinctly different cards at the same meeting on Thursday. On one hand, California illegal gambler Matthew Bowyer was unanimously voted onto the gaming blacklist, becoming the 39th person on the list; on the other hand, 80-year-old Las Vegas veteran performer Francis Citro, who has been excluded from major casinos since 1991, attempted to secure a hearing to be removed from the blacklist but was outright denied by the commissioners. Bowyer's name is well-known due to the scandal that shook Major League Baseball — it was through him that Shohei Ohtani's former translator, Kazuhiro Mizuuchi, placed bets and stole $16 million from Ohtani. The power of the blacklist is such that once on it, one is permanently barred from entering any Nevada casino with tables, sports betting, and horse racing. The committee completed the vote on Bowyer in less than twenty minutes, but the debate surrounding Citro revealed scars of organized crime that the gambling city has yet to erase.
From VIP rooms to the blacklist, Bowyer's nine years of illegal operations finally settled
Representing the Nevada Attorney General's Office, Nona Lawrence peeled back the layers of Bowyer's illegal operations. From 2014 to 2023, he collected tens of millions of dollars in illegal bets from at least 700 gamblers. More critically, he frequented Las Vegas casinos, gambled with illicit gains, paid casino credit lines, and recruited clients through casino marketing intermediaries, paying commissions and remunerations per head. Bowyer had previously admitted to operating an illegal gambling business, money laundering, and filing false tax returns, directly implicating major casino giants such as MGM International Hotel Group, Caesars Entertainment, and Las Vegas World Resorts, which collectively paid fines totaling $26.8 million in 2025.
Commissioner Brian Crowley stated that placing Bowyer on the blacklist marked a much-needed end to a series of compliance failures. Commissioner Abby Silver expressed dissatisfaction with Bowyer's post-facto attitude — he had publicly planned to profit from writing a book about his illegal gambling experiences. Silver's words were sharp: His high-profile boasting about how to monetize this affair was utterly arrogant.
The old scars of the mob still unhealed, the octogenarian artist still denied entry after 35 years
Citro's request for a hearing was rejected at the same meeting. His lawyer, Anthony Scagro, argued that the 80-year-old artist was no longer the same person he was when he was blacklisted 35 years ago. The mob members associated with him at the time have long since passed away, and now Citro just wants to perform jazz, Italian folk songs, comedy, and stand-up about Las Vegas mob history in the casino lounges. Scagro believed that 35 years was enough to prove that he no longer posed a threat.
However, the commissioners were not convinced. Silver pointed out that being on the blacklist did not prevent Citro from performing, dining, playing slot machines, and reuniting with family in over 2000 restricted license venues in Nevada — the only places he couldn't enter were those large casinos with gambling tables and sports betting. Silver also reviewed records from the past, noting that Citro had been involved in extortion and usury, and his accomplices had discussed using violence against those who could not repay at exorbitant interest rates. Commissioner Rosa Solis-Reyni directly addressed the core issue before voting: Las Vegas still carries the stigma of organized crime, and people are still asking whether the mob is still active, removing Citro from the list would send the wrong signal. Chairwoman Jennifer Toriati added that Citro had always portrayed himself as a victim, but she could not ignore the original basis for his inclusion on the list. After the meeting, Citro expressed disappointment with the outcome and planned to discuss next steps with his lawyer.
PASA official website continues to track landmark cases of North American gaming regulation and compliance enforcement, noting that these back-to-back decisions perfectly outline the two core faces of Nevada gaming regulation. Zero tolerance and no leniency for external illegal operators; for those with historical stigmas, the city's brand image and hard-won compliance reputation are more important. Each addition or removal from the blacklist is a public calibration of the gambling city's bottom line.
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