Las Vegas Gambler ‘Wild Bill’ Roberts Indicted After Allegedly Taking $69K in Bets After Arrest

A Las Vegas gambler accused of running an illegal sportsbook allegedly continued taking bets after his arrest—including from the undercover agent investigating him—prosecutors said Wednesday (September 30).

Roberts was originally arrested in April following an investigation by the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) and FBI.

Authorities accused him of taking bets through Costa Rica-based website ezwin247.com and mixing proceeds with money from two businesses he owns, a fitness center and Wild Bill Consulting Inc., his sports betting picks company.

Roberts said his claims of innocence were vindicated after gaming regulators mysteriously withdrew illegal bookmaking charges against him in August.

Two months later, prosecutors are taking another shot.

Roberts was back in court Wednesday as a grand jury indictment was unsealed charging him with operating a gaming establishment without a license, unlawfully receiving compensation for accepting wagers, attempted money laundering, and accepting unlawful wagers.

Betting After Arrest Alleged

Per reporting by The Las Vegas Review-Journal, Chief Deputy District Attorney Austin Beaumont told the court that Roberts called an undercover investigator the day after his April arrest and asked whether he was working with the FBI.

The investigator denied it — and then allegedly continued betting with Roberts.

Beaumont said Roberts ultimately took more than $69,000 in wagers after his arrest and continued channeling money through the gym and consulting businesses.

Investigators also recorded Roberts explaining how the operation worked and discussing how much money he made, the prosecutor added.

According to Beaumont, Roberts generated $208,888.50 from illegal bookmaking in 2025 and another $239,850 this year, with monthly income approaching $50,000 before his arrest.

‘I’m the Desert’

Following the dismissal of NGCB charges, Roberts emphatically denied being an illegal bookmaker, telling the Review-Journal that investigators could search all they liked.

“There’s no water in the desert,” Roberts said. “I’m the desert.”

Roberts’ attorney, Chris Rasmussen, told the court Wednesday his client continues to strongly dispute the allegations.

Rasmussen said Roberts neither owns nor operates the Costa Rican website and claimed the FBI had already established that fact during a two-year investigation.

Roberts has called the investigation a “witch hunt” stemming from allegations made by the mother of his child amid an ongoing Family Court dispute.

Prosecutors sought $1 million bail following Wednesday’s indictment.

District Judge Carli Kierny instead released Roberts on his own recognizance with high-level electronic monitoring. He was ordered to surrender his passport and barred from frequenting casinos while the case is pending.