Bryan Micon, pursued by Nevada gaming officials for his involvement with an unlicensed gambling website, pleaded guilty to the charge against him today.
Micon appeared this morning in District Court to enter a guilty plea to one felony count of operating an unlicensed interactive gaming system. His lawyer said the plea, which Micon said he would accept in Las Vegas Justice Court last month, will let him avoid jail time.
If Micon successfully completes probation, he can instead plead to one gross misdemeanor count of conspiracy to operate unlicensed interactive gaming, according to the plea agreement filed in District Court today. The length of his probation has yet to be determined.
Micon also agreed to pay a $25,000 fine and surrender property seized during the case, including $900, 3.0996 Bitcoin and some electronic equipment.
Micon became the target of Nevada gaming officials because of his connection to a website called Seals with Clubs, where players gambled with the alternative currency Bitcoin. Micon was targeted because the website didn’t obtain a license from Nevada regulators.
When Attorney General Adam Laxalt filed charges against Micon in April, officials believed it was the first time the state had gone after an allegedly illegal online gaming site.
Following a raid on his Las Vegas home in February, Micon left the country for Antigua, a Caribbean island that has a reputation for friendliness toward online gaming operations. But he returned to the United States to appear in Justice Court last month.
His sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 3.