In a September 30, 2026 press release, the Nevada Gaming Control Board announced that a Clark County grand jury had indicted a defendant on September 29 on charges involving the operation of an illegal sports betting business and money laundering.
According to the Board, the indictment followed a multi-year investigation, the defendant was arrested in April 2026, and investigators had identified that the defendant was accepting sports wagers through a website based in Costa Rica.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. If you are under investigation or have been charged, talk to a licensed Nevada criminal defense attorney.
What Makes a Sportsbook Illegal in Nevada?
The September release does not cite statutes. The Board has set out its licensing position on sports wagering in its prediction-market actions. In its August 28 release on prediction markets, the Board said it treats sports event contracts as wagering and that “entities offering these contracts must be licensed in the state of Nevada.”
In March 2025 it sent Kalshi a cease-and-desist letter, concluding that Kalshi was “operating as an unlicensed sports pool” in violation of NRS 463.160(1) and NRS 463.245(2), and warned that it would pursue civil or criminal enforcement if Kalshi did not stop.
Describing the Nevada laws identified in that letter, the Ninth Circuit said in its August 28, 2026 decision that they regulate “gaming” activity, including operating an unlicensed “sports pool” in which “wagers” on “sporting events or other events” are accepted, and cited NRS 463.160(1)(a) and (4), NRS 463.245(2), NRS 465.086 and NRS 465.092.
The panel affirmed the dissolution of Kalshi’s preliminary injunction as to its sports contracts and remanded part of the case. The Board called it a 3-0 ruling for Nevada.
Unlike the Clark County case, the prediction-market disputes went to civil court, where in 2026 the Board obtained state-court orders barring Kalshi and two other platforms from offering prohibited event contracts in Nevada.
Which Statutes Appear in Nevada Gaming Cases?
The Board issued three releases on criminal cases in 2026, and two of them list statutes:
Announced | What the Board reported | Statutes |
|---|---|---|
June 11, 2026 | A suspect booked into the Clark County Detention Center on May 5 over wagers tied to a Fresno State player’s alleged intentional underperformance in a January 7, 2025 game | Booked for NRS 465.070 (Fraudulent Acts), NRS 199.480(3) (Conspiracy Cheating at Gambling), NRS 207.195(1) (Conspiracy Launder Money) |
June 24, 2026 | A suspect extradited from Iowa, alleged to be part of a multi-state casino fraud scheme | Charged with three felony counts under NRS 465.070 and three felony conspiracy counts under NRS 465.088 |
September 30, 2026 | The Clark County indictment; the Board said the arrest followed investigators identifying wagers taken through a Costa Rica-based website | Charges involving an illegal sports betting business and money laundering; no statutes listed |
Across the table, money laundering appears in two of the three releases.
The Fresno State release also describes the evidence: subpoenas, financial records, cellphone data, licensed sportsbook operators and coordination with the NCAA. As of that June 11 release, several additional suspects remained outstanding.
What Is the List of Excluded Persons?
One of the June cases shows a tool the Board uses alongside prosecution: the suspect extradited in June had been placed on the Board’s List of Excluded Persons in December 2023 and trespassed from 17 Nevada casinos. Nevada Gaming Commission Regulation 28, as amended through January 2026, sets out how the list works:
- At a public meeting, after each member reviews the evidence independently, the Board decides whether there is sufficient reason to believe a criterion in NRS 463.151(3) applies and whether to place the candidate on the list. The listing generally takes effect only after notice, a chance for a hearing and a final Commission decision.
- The candidate can request a hearing before the Gaming Commission within 30 days of service, or within 60 days of the last newspaper publication if notice is published.
- On request, the candidate receives a bill of particulars at least 20 days before the hearing.
- A petition for judicial review does not by itself stay enforcement of a listing, though the Commission may grant a stay.
The list is open to public inspection and is published on the Board’s website.
One criterion is a notorious or unsavory reputation, and evidence of it can include a published NCAA report identifying a person’s criminal activities involving wagering on, or attempting to influence the result of, a collegiate sporting event. The June 11 release does not mention the list.
Who Decides Where Online Gambling Is Legal?
The September release does not say how the website’s location bears on the charges.
The broader principle, which the Ninth Circuit quoted from a congressional finding in the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978, is that “the States should have the primary responsibility for determining what forms of gambling may legally take place within their borders.”
In Nevada, gaming is regulated by the Gaming Control Board and the Nevada Gaming Commission; the Board says it has regulated gaming in the state for more than 70 years.
Outside Nevada, the question of whether an online casino is state-licensed or offshore also arises.
Michigan, where online casino games are authorized, shows what a published state list looks like: its Gaming Control Board pairs each authorized platform provider with the casino or tribe it operates for, such as BetMGM with MGM Grand Detroit and theScore Bet with Hollywood Casino at Greektown, and its internet gaming page links to patron disputes and an application form for its Responsible Gaming Database.
A US guide to casinos carrying Evolution games, published by Jackpot Sounds on September 1, covers Evolution’s entries on the supplier registers of Michigan, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, not Nevada or sports betting. It suggests looking up a game’s studio on the state regulator’s public supplier register and calls that “the fastest way to tell a licensed casino from an offshore one.”
The guide lists the registered entity names under which Evolution appears on those registers, and it carries a 21-and-older notice.
What Happens Next?
The September release says no further details are being released at this time, as did both June releases. An indictment is an allegation, not a finding of guilt, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The September release names no trial date and no statute for any of the charges.
About the author: Vladyslav Lazurchenko writes about legal online casinos in the United States for Jackpot Sounds, including the Evolution guide cited above.
