The head of Resorts World Las Vegas, Scott Sivala, has been dismissed.
A representative for Resorts World Las Vegas informed iGB that Scott Sivala, the company’s President and Chief Operating Officer, has been let go, effective immediately, due to breaking company rules and employment agreements.
Resorts World Las Vegas, owned by the Genting Group, stated that Peter Lavoi, the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will take over Sivala’s role as President.
“Peter’s vast experience and knowledge make him the perfect candidate to guide Resorts World Las Vegas through this shift,” the representative said.
Sivala had been the head of the casino on the Las Vegas Strip since May 2019. Resorts World Las Vegas appointed him to replace Edward Ferrell, who was leaving the company.
The experienced casino executive oversaw the ongoing construction phase until its opening in June 2021, as reported by Casino Nieuws. Before joining Resorts World Las Vegas, he held high-ranking positions at Gold Strike, Fantasy Island, MGM Grand, Treasure Island, and Tropicana.
Resorts World Las Vegas has not revealed any specific details about the actions that led to Sivala’s dismissal.
However, accounts indicate the leader’s exit is tied to an ongoing national inquiry into an illicit betting operation that catered to professional sportspeople.
The operation was headed by former minor league baseball player Wayne Nix and his long-term associate, Edorn Yoshida Kagassov.
Nix confessed in April 2022 to one charge of conspiring to run an illegal gambling business and one charge of submitting a false tax return. Legal representatives have set his sentencing hearing for March 6, 2024.
Last month, the Nevada Independent, a non-profit news agency, reported that the national inquiry into the operation had broadened.
According to unidentified sources, national investigators have summoned employees of Wynn Resorts and MGM Resorts in relation to the inquiry.
Investigators are attempting to ascertain whether Las Vegas casino workers acted as representatives for Nix’s betting network, recruiting bettors and taking a share of their losses. Agents are also examining whether they used casino resources to cover Nix’s gambling debts.
The inquiry is being led by agents from the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division.
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