That's why the accidental disclosure and the meeting itself ought to be remembered as an inflection point for the industry before the sting of the candor fades and is replaced by a new shiny object.

Fresh and familiar faces are in abundance these days along with stories about the concerted efforts being made to follow federal anti-money laundering regulations and the rules that apply in the state with the longest history of legal gambling.

The case has exposed regulatory and compliance lapses at multiple resorts and led to the ouster of a longtime gaming industry executive and the conviction of several illegal bookmakers on gambling and money laundering charges.

Anyone who has followed the business closely knows the casino executives, who risk losing their licenses if they knowingly cater to the criminal class, have worked hard to keep up appearances and maintain a modicum of plausible deniability.

Those who track the poker room underworld and watch the increasing pressure casino marketing executives at some properties are put under to attract and keep big customers might disagree.

To see Sacco's name surface on the latest list of sports gamblers scheduled to be honored in August at the Circa Resort & Casino's Sports Gambling Hall of Fame ceremony is at once head-spinning and spot-on appropriate.

The ongoing federal investigation of the Wayne Nix illegal bookmaking operation has exposed a poorly kept secret about the Las Vegas casino industry. Namely, that it doesn't much mind catering to illegal gamblers.

Fallout from the Wayne Nix federal illegal bookmaking and money laundering case continues in Las Vegas with the state Gaming Control Board's reported interest in the widening investigation.

Some of his friends and allies believe he's getting stuck with a much bigger tab following a January guilty plea for violating the Bank Secrecy Act in connection with an ongoing federal illegal bookmaking investigation.

Everyone knows the casinos have plenty of illegal bookmakers in the house. Bookmakers historically are an integral part of the American gambling story, and outside of Nevada most of them were considered outlaws.

The new development raises serious questions about the level of casino compliance practiced at Resorts World Las Vegas. By regulation, larger customers are vetted to confirm their source of income.

Other areas of the investigation ought to give the Gaming Control Board's Maytag repairmen pause. According to court documents, Nix frequently traveled from his California home to play at Strip casinos.

As the federal investigation heated up, sources say MGM managed to discover several other illegal bookmakers gambling and sent them packing. It makes me wonder whether they had been hiding in plain sight for years.

In an interview with the government last year, Scott Sibella admitted that he knew Wayne Nix was a major illegal bookmaker, but his gambling across MGM's tables made him an extremely valuable customer.

Set aside for a moment that the scale of professional sports as we know it wouldn't exist without illegal (and now increasingly legal) bookmaking. It's a simple truth, just not what we've been comfortable talking about.

If Resorts World, as some suggest, is proving it takes its executive disclosure requirements seriously, perhaps one day we'll learn more about the real reasons Sibella was yanked from the corporate penthouse.