Resorts World Las Vegas Shakeup: Sibella Ousted Amidst Mystery

Article by : Charles Perrin Sep 20, 2023

• 
• 

Resorts World Las Vegas has fired its president and chief operating officer, Scott Sibella, for violating the terms of his employment.

Sibella, who had served as the company’s president since the establishment opened on the Las Vegas strip two years ago, breached company rules. Still, Resorts World refused to divulge further details on the manner of his departure.

An experienced Vegas operator, Sibella, who played an instrumental role in Resorts World’s growth, was brought in to replace outgoing executive Edward Farrell.

He has left Resorts World under a black cloud, and a company statement revealed his exit marked a shift in the leadership structure.

Peter LaVoie, who had previously served as Resorts World’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will now assume the
hotseat.

It read: “Resorts World Las Vegas announced that President and Chief Operating Officer Scott Sibellas has left the company, effective immediately.

“This action comes after the company was recently made aware that Mr Sibella violated company policies and the terms of his employment.

“Peter LaVoie will serve as president. Peter’s extensive experience and expertise make him the right person to lead Resorts World Las Vegas through this transition.”

It is instead telling that Resorts World didn’t disclose the manner of Sibella’s departure. However, Homeland Securities and the IRS Criminal Investigations unit have supposedly expanded the scope of their probe into an illegal gambling ring that involved professional sports stars.

One minor league baseball player, Wayne Nix, pled guilty in April 2022 to one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business and one count of subscribing to a false tax return. His sentence hearing has been scheduled for March 2024.

Meanwhile, Sibella was the chief operating officer at MGM Grand for eight years before joining Resorts World and was linked to the ring that catered to professional sports players. However, he was later cleared by the Nevada Gaming Control Board. But it remains unclear whether Sibella was sacked over this alleged violation or another unrelated incident.

Reports also emerged that employees at Resorts World and MGM Grand have been subpoenaed in connection to the investigation, and there has been ongoing speculation that Sibella misused his casino privileges.

Either way, Sibella’s star may well have faded. The onus will now be on LaVoie, who also had a spell at MGM Grand and once served as Vice President of Excalibur/Luxor properties, who will need to steer Resorts World through some choppy waters.