Poker Pro Damien LeForbes Pleads Guilty to Illegal Bookmaking, Money Laundering

Damien LeForbes is the latest person to be caught up in an illegal sports betting scandal out of California, with money being laundered through a Las Vegas resort casino. (Image: Jamie Thompson / courtesy of WSOP)

Professional Poker Player Damien LeForbes has entered into an agreement to plead guilty to running an illegal sports betting operation in California, as well as engaging in money laundering via a Las Vegas casino.

The plea agreement for LeForbes was filed with the US District Court of Central California on Monday.

LeForbes Gambled $148 Million at ‘Casino A’

According to a statement of facts that was submitted as part of the plea agreement, LeForbes made over $2,000 per day while running an illegal sportsbook for at least five years in Southern California. 

The court filing says that LeForbes used cash from his sports betting enterprise to play at a Las Vegas casino. While the casino is only referred to as “Casino A,” it is known that LeForbes played frequently at Resorts World Las Vegas, which is in turn the subject of a money laundering complaint from the Nevada Gaming Control Board. 

According to court documents, LeForbes wagered a total of more than $148 million at Casino A over an 11-month period during 2023. The Nevada Current reports that LeForbes chalked up $12.3 million in losses during his trips to Resorts World, and allegedly wrote a bad check for $2.5 million to the casino, which the casino then turned over to the Clark County District Attorney for prosecution. The Current also cited a source who claimed that LeForbes owes $1 million to the Venetian. 

In the plea agreement, LeForbes is said to have recruited casino hosts to refer potential customers to his business. He also took casino chips as payment from bettors. 

While LeForbes was not a major celebrity in the poker world, he did have several cashes over the years in the World Series of Poker. He earned money in eight WSOP events from 2014 through 2019, and has lifetime live tournament winnings of $56,072 according to The Hendon Mob Database. 

LeForbes also has been a recurring face on popular poker shows such as Poker After Dark and High Stakes Poker.

LeForbes faces up to 15 years of prison, as well as up to three years of supervised release and a fine of as much as $500,000. 

Vegas Casinos Face Scrutiny for Taking Bets from Illegal Bookmakers

LeForbes is now the third individual who has pleaded guilty to illegal bookmaking in California who also had ties to Las Vegas casinos.

The most notable of the group was Mathew Bowyer, the bookmaker who allegedly took well over $100 million in bets from former Shohei Ohtani interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, who in turn has pleaded guilty to stealing millions from Ohtani to cover his gambling debts. Bowyer pleaded guilty earlier in August to operating an unlawful gambling business, money laundering, and subscribing to a false tax return. Bowyer was known to gamble at Resorts World Las Vegas, where he allegedly laundered the funds stolen from Ohtani.

In 2022, former minor league baseball player Wayne Nix also pleaded guilty from illegal bookmaking. That prosecution ultimately led to former MGM Grand and Resorts World executive Scott Sibella pleading guilty to violations of the Bank Secrecy Act this year, as Sibella acknowledged that he allowed Nix to gamble at MGM Grand despite knowing that Nix was running an illegal betting business. 

In its complaint, the Nevada Gaming Control Board says that Resorts World damaged the reputation of the state’s gaming industry by allowing several known or suspected felons to wager at the casino. Resorts World says it is aware of the complaint and cooperating with the investigation.