William West Roberts, 57, has been arrested by authorities after years of investigation conducted by the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the FBI.
The illegal betting and sportsbooks operation, based in Nevada, totals nearly $8m. Roberts is also accused of taking bets through usage of a website based in Costa Rica. Details listed in the investigative report state that he allegedly consolidated funds filtered through two different businesses.
The Gaming Control Board arrest report states that Roberts was recorded by undercover investigators posing as gamblers and collaborated with a confidential insider source.
The arrest report states that, between 2022 and 2026, Roberts was listed in 334 cash transaction reports amounting to roughly $7.4m.
Roberts faces felony counts of operating a gaming establishment without a license, disseminating racing information without a license and receipt of compensation for bets without a gaming license.
Additional charges include gross misdemeanour counts of accepting an unlawful wager in Nevada, attempting to launder money and one misdemeanor count of accepting an unlawful wager from someone outside Nevada.
“A review of casino records showed that Roberts wagered approximately 8 million dollars in sports books in Nevada,” investigators said. “Illegal bookmakers sometimes place bets on legal wagering platforms for a few practical reasons tied to how their business works. The main reason is the hedging risk. A bookie takes bets from customers and is exposed to losses if those customers win big. To manage that risk, they will often ‘lay off’ bets on a legal sports book.”
Elsewhere in Las Vegas, Kalshi was recent;y banned from offering sporting event contracts in the state of Nevada.
Carson City District Court Judge Jason Woodbury declared the official ruling, which also requires the prediction markets operator to implement geofencing measures by May 4.
Nevada gaming revenue totalled $1.2bn for February this year, signifying a 1.5% increase
