LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Nevada Gaming Commission unanimously voted Thursday to add a Mississippi illusionist to the “black book” for Nevada casinos after learning 17 Nevada properties trespassed him.
At the Dec. 21 meeting, Senior Deputy Attorney General Michael Somps brought an action to add Shaun Joseph Benward to the list of people who are excluded from casinos in the state.
Somps said Benward has a “fairly extensive” history and was active not only in Nevada but across the country. Benward is “known for engaging” in schemes to defraud casinos while playing roulette by distracting dealers using an accomplice and placing a late bet, Somps said.
On Sept. 6, the board nominated Benward, claiming that “the presence of Mr. Benward in a licensed gaming establishment poses a threat to the interest of the state of Nevada and licensed gaming and he should therefore be excluded from licensed gaming establishments.”
According to Somps, 17 different southern Nevada casinos officially trespassed Benward from their properties in the past.
“Mr. Benward has a nationwide history of being the subject of casino surveillance reports, being trespassed, arrests for trespass, and being suspected of various scams,” Somps said.
Four states – Pennsylvania, Delaware, Michigan, and Missouri – have already placed Benward, a self-described magician and illusionist – on their “black books.”
According to Somps, police in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Iowa, Missouri, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Ohio, and Indiana have arrested Benward for various theft, fraud, and cheating charges. The Delaware State Lottery office explains Benward “has been confirmed as a cheater in multiple casinos across the country.”
The board lists the 36 people on the Nevada List of Excluded Persons on its website. Before Benward, the most recent addition to the list was 65-year-old Leonard Hairston, who was added in November 2022.
Board agents investigated Benward in 2017 after they suspected he attempted a roulette scheme in several Southern Nevada casinos. Las Vegas police arrested Benward in November 2020 and then again in August 2021, court records show.
Somps said Benward pleaded guilty in September 2022.
According to Somps, those charges would be dismissed if he stayed out of trouble for a year. Those charges were dismissed in September, according to court records.
For the board and the commission to determine if an individual should be added to the list, they must consider several factors including:
- If the individual has prior convictions of crimes which are violations of the gaming laws of any state
- If the individual has prior convictions of crimes involving moral turpitude, which is an act or behavior that gravely violates the sentiment or accepted standard of the community, such as theft or fraud
- Has a “notorious or unsavory reputation” which would adversely affect public confidence and trust that the gaming industry is free from criminal or corruptive elements
- Written order of a governmental agency which authorizes the exclusion or ejection of the person from an establishment at which gaming or pari-mutuel wagering is conducted
Somps said the board served Benward with the board’s order of nomination and notice of candidacy, both through the mail in Sept. 15 and in person in Las Vegas on Oct. 19.
After he was served, Benward had 30 days to request a hearing before the commission, which he did not do, Somps said, and a member of the commission confirmed. Benward was also told the commission would be considering the matter at Thursday’s meeting. He did not attend the meeting.
Following Somps’ presentation, the commission voted unanimously to add Benward to the list.
