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William West Roberts, 57, had been charged with operating a gaming establishment without a license, taking compensation for bets without a license, and receiving unlawful wagers.
Those counts were dismissed on August 13. Roberts calls the whole investigation a “witch hunt” that started when the mother of his child contacted authorities while the two were locked in Family Court.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board opened the case after an email tip in 2022. Agents used an informant and undercover officers who placed bets and once met Roberts at a steakhouse to hand over cash. They said he was taking action through a Costa Rican website and mixing that money with funds from his gym and his sports-picks service, Wild Bill Sports Consulting. Casino records showed he had put millions through Nevada sports books.
Roberts says that story is wrong. He describes himself as a heavy gambler who sells picks for a fee and checks offshore lines the way a lot of serious bettors do.
His lawyer, Chris Rasmussen, pointed out that the FBI looked at the same material for years and walked away. “The notion he is a bookmaker was a fiction,” Rasmussen said.
Even after the dismissal, prosecutors handed Roberts a Marcum notice the same day. That means a grand jury could still hear the evidence. Prosecutor Austin Beaumont has said he plans to present it.
The child’s mother has denied any attempt to use the criminal investigation to gain an edge in the custody case. She said her focus is the child and letting Family Court decide the matter on the evidenceю
When a tip comes from someone already involved in a civil fight, agents still have to build something that stands on its own. In cases like this the record often includes recorded talks, money movements, and undercover wagers. From the defense side the key question is whether the government can show the person was actually taking the other side of the bets instead of just selling information or betting his own money.
That distinction has decided more than a few of these cases. Courts look at who controlled the bankroll and who stood to lose when the picks went bad.
Roberts says the searches, legal bills, and temporary casino bans have already hit him hard. He insists a close look at the facts will turn up nothing.
Allegations that mix licensed gambling, sports information businesses, and claims of unlicensed bookmaking can move fast once investigators get involved. The practical starting point is the actual recordings, the bank records, and any statements already made.
At LV Criminal Defense, we deal with gaming, fraud, and related criminal matters in Las Vegas. If you or someone close to you needs a straightforward read on where a specific set of facts stands, use the Contact Us page.
We will go through the record and do our best to assist you.
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