Resorts World Whistleblower Says He Was Fired After Flagging Suspicious Gamblers

LAS VEGAS – A former Resorts World Las Vegas compliance director has sued the casino, alleging he was fired after reporting suspicious activity involving international gamblers.

Preston Banks says his termination came 27 days after he submitted a detailed anti-money-laundering report, while Resorts World strongly denies his allegations.

Banks, who previously spent about 16 years at the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, joined Resorts World in 2022 as compliance director and later also served as international compliance director.

Lawsuit Details Alleged International Gambling Scheme

In a federal lawsuit filed Sept. 14 in Nevada, Banks alleges he began identifying suspicious activity in late 2022 among patrons primarily from Argentina. The complaint says the group later expanded to between 60 and 150 people connected to countries including Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay, Italy and Spain.

According to the complaint, Resorts World records documented concerns including unverifiable sources of funds, repeated third-party marker payments, coordinated wagering, chip passing, minimal gaming and possible credit fraud. Banks alleges more than 50 Suspicious Activity Reports had been filed in connection with members of the group by September 2024.

The lawsuit says Banks continued escalating concerns internally and submitted a comprehensive report to Chief Compliance Officer Jennifer Roberts and other compliance staff on Sept. 2, 2025. Resorts World then began a priority internal review of the material.

Nine days later, the complaint alleges the casino banned 28 patrons associated with what Banks describes as the credit-fraud component of the activity. Their accounts were referred to the Clark County District Attorney’s Office for collection of approximately $12 million to $13 million in unpaid casino credit.

Banks Alleges Report Was Altered Before Regulator Review

Banks was terminated Sept. 29, according to the lawsuit. He alleges a human resources director told him the decision came from the “C-suite” and was connected to the same activity covered by his Sept. 2 report.

The complaint further alleges that Banks met with Nevada Gaming Control Board agents in March 2026 and reviewed a version of his report that Resorts World had provided to regulators. Banks claims that version had been altered and omitted information contained in his original submission.

Among the allegedly missing material were references to an exception involving third-party payments, comments made during an anti-money-laundering committee meeting and details concerning Resorts World’s third-party payment policy. Those claims have not been adjudicated.

Banks also filed whistleblower complaints with OSHA, FinCEN and the Justice Department. His federal lawsuit seeks damages and other relief under federal whistleblower protections and Nevada law.

Resorts World Denies Whistleblower Allegations

Resorts World rejected Banks’ account, describing the lawsuit as frivolous and saying it strongly denies the allegations and characterizations contained in the complaint. No hearings had been scheduled in the federal case when the lawsuit was first reported.

The dispute follows earlier regulatory scrutiny of the Las Vegas Strip property. Resorts World agreed to a $10.5 million Nevada gaming settlement in 2025 over separate allegations involving anti-money-laundering failures and illegal bookmakers.

Nevada regulators later said stronger corporate governance could have helped prevent those earlier compliance failures, while Resorts World subsequently strengthened its compliance structure and appointed Roberts as chief compliance officer.

The new lawsuit does not establish that Resorts World violated anti-money-laundering or whistleblower laws. The case will determine whether Banks can prove that his protected reporting contributed to his dismissal and whether Resorts World bears liability for the alleged retaliation.

RELATED TOPICS: Regulation