Sibella out as CEO of Resorts World Las Vegas, replaced by the property’s CFO
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The CEO was cleared by gaming regulators in February after an investigation into possible wrongdoing. Now Resorts World says Sibella violated company policies.
Resorts World Las Vegas President Scott Sibella, who took the helm of the unfinished Strip property in 2019 and helped steer the long-stalled $4.3 billion project to its June 2021 opening, was replaced Friday as the hotel-casino’s top executive.
According to information provided by a New York communications firm representing the hotel-casino, Resorts World Chief Financial Officer Peter LaVoie will step into the CEO position for the 3,500-room hotel-casino, which is owned by Malaysia-based Genting Berhad, a multifaceted conglomerate that has Resorts World branded casinos throughout Asia (including Singapore) and in New York.
“Resorts World Las Vegas today announced that president and COO Scott Sibella has left the company, effective immediately,” a Resorts World spokeswoman said in an emailed statement. “This action comes after the company was recently made aware that Mr. Sibella violated company policies and the terms of his employment.”
In February, Sibella was cleared by state gaming regulators after a yearlong investigation over questions about the Strip property’s relationship with a restaurant partially owned by a convicted felon.
It is not clear whether his termination is related to the Gaming Control Board's investigation into possible wrongdoing. Resorts World Las Vegas officials did not return phone calls seeking comment.
LaVoie, who has been CFO since March 2020, spent 22 years at MGM Resorts International in various financial roles with multiple properties on the Strip.
“Peter’s extensive experience and expertise make him the right person to lead Resorts World Las Vegas through this transition,” the spokesperson said.
Resorts World Las Vegas was the first all-new Las Vegas Strip hotel-casino development to open in more than a decade.
Sibella joined Resorts World after departing MGM Resorts International. He had been president of MGM Grand Las Vegas for eight years.
Sibella touted Resorts World’s cashless gaming system, in which the property partnered with five gaming technology providers to create a cashless payment program for both gaming and non-gaming activities throughout the resort, such as retail, restaurants and entertainment.
He also brought in Hilton Hotels Corp., through a franchise agreement, which placed the property’s rooms and suites into the Hilton Honors program, a worldwide database of 115 million active users.
The Hilton name and the company’s high-end Conrad brand were added to Resort World’s 57-story tower. Crockfords, a European casino brand owned by Genting, is also named atop the building.
