(Office of the Attorney General) – LAS VEGAS – Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt announced that Bryan Micon, 36, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty to the crime charged in the criminal indictment, operating an unlicensed interactive gaming website, a category “B” felony. He created and managed an illegal Internet poker website in Nevada, known as “Seals with Clubs.” The site accepted online wagers in the form of Bitcoin, a digital crypto-currency. Micon violated the law between March 2014 and February 2015, when a court-authorized search warrant was executed at his Las Vegas residence. Shortly thereafter, on April 27, 2015, AG Laxalt filed a criminal complaint on this matter.
“Defending Nevada’s worldwide reputation as the ‘Gold Standard of Gaming Integrity’ is a paramount concern to the tens of thousands of Nevadans employed by the industry, as well as the 40 million tourists who visit this state each year,” said Laxalt. “Online gambling without a license is a crime, and this first-of-its-kind prosecution demonstrates my office’s commitment to the strict enforcement of the Nevada Gaming Control Act.”
According to gaming regulatory authorities, this legal action represents the first state-level criminal prosecution of an illegal Internet poker website in Nevada’s history. It also marks the first instance of a state-level criminal conviction of an illegal Internet poker site using Bitcoin as currency.
A.G. Burnett, Chairman of the Nevada State Gaming Control Board added, “Investigators at the Gaming Control Board will continue to investigate unlicensed online operators who violate Nevada gaming law. We are encouraged by the Micon prosecution, and will continue to work with the Attorney General’s Office to prosecute these important cases.”
Operating an unlicensed interactive gaming website is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and/or imposition of a fine of up to $50,000. Micon is scheduled to be sentenced in the Eighth Judicial District Court, Department Four on November 3, 2015 at 9:00 a.m.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board investigated this case, and it is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Samuel R. Kern. To view the criminal Information, click here. To view the guilty plea agreement, click here. To file a complaint with our office, click here.
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