U.S.-based casino operator Wynn Resorts says it is not aware of any U.S. federal investigations into possible money laundering controls failures. The statement comes after The Wall Street Journal reported that the company is being investigated by prosecutors from two U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. IRS and Drug Enforcement Administration.
“We are not aware of any investigation into the company, and no agency has notified us that the company is under investigation,” Michael Weaver, a company spokesman, said in an email to Reuters.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. IRS sent a letter to Wynn Resorts’ outside counsel asking for information on Wynn Resorts’ top clients from 2011 to 2013. This includes Asia, where Wynn Resorts owns and manages casino hotel Wynn Macau (pictured) through its subsidiary.
In the letter, the U.S. federal agency also reportedly requested details about the company’s marketing offices in the U.S. and abroad and internal controls on money laundering.
The report said the investigation was still in its early stages. The Wall Street Journal added that Wynn Resorts had not been accused of any misconduct.
“As a regulated company, we continue to talk to regulators and government agencies on a range of issues, and the fact that the agency requests information does not imply accusations of misconduct by the company,” Weaver told Reuters.
The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed officials familiar with the matter, reported that investigators are investigating whether Wynn Resorts violated money laundering rules in its dealings with VIP players. Investigators are also reportedly trying to determine whether High Roller used the company’s casino to launder proceeds from drug trafficking activities. 슬롯사이트
In September, Macau’s corruption watchdog said it was still investigating a subsidiary of Wynn Resorts for paying US$50 million to a Macau-registered company in exchange for waiving rights to part of the current casino operator’s Kotai site.