Hard Rock International Suspends Executive Over Alleged Money Laundering Violations

^{Hard Rock’s Punta Cana casino is in the heart of a scandal after whistleblower claims led to the suspension of Senior Vice President Alex Pariente. (Photo Credit: Hackenberg-Photo-Cologne / Alamy)}

Hard Rock International has suspended executive Alex Pariente without pay after a high roller accused him of circumventing anti money-laundering regulations at the company’s casino in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Pariente serves as the senior vice president for hotel and casino operations for the casino company, which is operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

Whistleblower Alerts Hard Rock to Restructured Deposits

According to a New York Post report, it was gambler RJ Cipriani who told Hard Rock about the alleged actions taken by Pariente. That included structuring a $100,000 deposit from a Chinese national into 33 separate payments of $3,000 to avoid detection in violation of anti-money laundering reporting requirements. 

The Post also reported that Cipriani told the newspaper that two other Hard Rock employees have been suspended as well, though Hard Rock declined to comment on any discipline beyond Pariente’s suspension.

“Hard Rock International is aware of the allegations involving one of our executives and is treating the matter with the utmost seriousness,” the company said in a statement. “Hard Rock does not tolerate any conduct that compromises the trust placed in us by our guests, partners, or team members. The employee in question has been suspended without pay pending an investigation into this matter.”

Pariente has a long history in the gaming industry. From 2001 to 2004, he worked for Caesars Entertainment as a senior vice president in marketing, and held a similar position as an executive vice president for Wynn Resorts Las Vegas from 2004 to 2013. He has also held executive positions for the Baha Mar casino resort in Nassau, Bahamas, and was previously the Chief Gaming Officer for Hard Rock at the Punta Cana resort.

Hard Rock Aiming to Win New York Casino License

The allegations against Pariente come at a time when Hard Rock would like to avoid even the appearance of a scandal. The gaming giant is partnering with New York Mets owner Steve Cohen on a bid for one of the three available downstate casino licenses. The proposal, known as Metropolitan Park, is an $8 billion complex that would include a casino, hotel, and other amenities, all located adjacent to Citi Field in Queens. 

According to our odds, Metropolitan Park is seen as one of the favorites to snag a New York casino license. But in a competitive bidding environment that still includes seven viable bids, any regulatory issue could become a weakness for this and other casino proposals. 

“The gaming facility evaluation process includes [New York State] Police background investigations of companies, affiliates, and the principals of all the applicants,” a spokesperson for the New York Gaming Commission told the Post. 

Incidentally, the other Queens bid – an effort to upgrade Resorts World New York City from a racino into a full-fledged casino – has also been tangentially associated with a gambling scandal. Resorts World Las Vegas was fined $10.5 million in March by Nevada regulators after allegedly knowingly allowing illegal bookmakers – including Mathew Bowyer, the bookmaker who took millions in bets from former Shohei Ohtani interpreter Ippei Mizuhara – to gamble millions at the casino, and to pay their debts in cash.

⭐️ Track the latest updates in the New York casino license race, including where Hard Rock and Resorts World stand.

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