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Facing Gambling Charges in Los Angeles? Your Defense Starts Now

Illegal gambling charges in Los Angeles move quickly and carry consequences that reach far beyond what most people expect when they are first arrested. State charges under Penal Code 330 PC are misdemeanors but the related offenses that accompany gambling arrests — illegal bookmaking under PC 337a, money laundering under PC 186.10, and federal gambling enterprise charges under 18 U.S.C. 1955 — are felonies that can add years to your exposure before you have had a chance to speak with an attorney. Operators, employees, and players can all be charged and the government does not distinguish between the person who ran the operation and the person who placed a bet. At The Law Offices of Arash Hashemi our Los Angeles illegal gambling attorney has spent over 20 years defending clients against gambling charges at both the state and federal level. Call (310) 448-1529 or contact our office today for a free confidential consultation.

State Gambling Charges in Los Angeles

California’s primary illegal gambling statute is Penal Code 330 PC which prohibits operating or participating in banking and percentage games including blackjack, roulette, fan-tan, and any other game where the house profits directly from player losses. Both operators and players can be charged. The charge is a misdemeanor carrying up to six months in county jail and fines up to $1,000 per count.

Related state charges that frequently accompany a PC 330 arrest carry significantly greater exposure. Illegal bookmaking under Penal Code 337a is a felony carrying up to two years in state prison. Money laundering under Penal Code 186.10 tied to gambling proceeds is a felony carrying up to three years in state prison and fines up to $250,000. When these charges are added alongside a base PC 330 misdemeanor the total sentencing exposure becomes a serious matter requiring experienced legal representation from the outset.

Federal Illegal Gambling Charges in Los Angeles

Federal gambling charges apply when an operation meets specific thresholds or involves interstate activity. The most frequently charged federal gambling statute is the Illegal Gambling Business Act (IGBA) under 18 U.S.C. 1955 which applies to gambling businesses that involve five or more people, operate for more than 30 consecutive days, or generate $2,000 or more in revenue in a single day. A conviction under the IGBA carries up to five years in federal prison per count.

Federal gambling prosecutions rarely stop at the base IGBA charge. Prosecutors routinely add conspiracy charges under 18 U.S.C. 371, RICO racketeering allegations, money laundering under 18 U.S.C. 1956, and wire fraud charges under 18 U.S.C. 1343 each carrying additional years of sentencing exposure. Our illegal gambling attorney in Los Angeles handles federal cases in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and has the federal court experience these cases demand.

Online Gambling Charges in Los Angeles

California has not legalized online casino gambling and operating or facilitating unlicensed online gambling platforms exposes individuals to both state and federal prosecution. The Wire Act under 18 U.S.C. 1084 makes it a federal crime to use wire communications including the internet to transmit bets across state lines. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) targets the financial side of online gambling by prohibiting payment processors from handling transactions connected to unlicensed online gambling.

Online gambling charges in Los Angeles are among the most technically complex gambling cases because they involve digital evidence, IP address identification, financial transaction analysis, and often the involvement of multiple federal agencies. Our firm defends online gambling charges by challenging the digital evidence, contesting how the government attributes online activity to the defendant, and attacking the legal basis for any wire communications charges filed alongside the gambling counts.

How Our Los Angeles Illegal Gambling Attorney Defends Your Case

Challenging the IGBA Threshold Elements

Federal IGBA charges require proof of specific numerical thresholds — five or more participants, 30 consecutive days of operation, or $2,000 in single-day revenue. When the prosecution cannot prove these thresholds with reliable evidence our firm challenges federal jurisdiction directly. Defeating the threshold elements can eliminate the federal charge entirely and reduce the case to a state-level matter with far lower sentencing exposure.

Social Gambling and Lack of Profit Defense

California law permits private social gambling between participants on equal terms where no one profits as the house. When the alleged gambling activity was a private game with no house rake, no entry fee, and no profit to any operator our firm establishes the social gambling defense through player accounts, financial records, and the structure of the game itself.

Suppression of Digital and Physical Evidence

Gambling investigations produce significant volumes of evidence through search warrants targeting premises, computers, phones, and financial accounts. When that evidence was obtained through unlawful searches, overbroad warrants, or without proper legal authority our firm files suppression motions immediately. Excluding gambling records, financial data, or digital communications from a gambling prosecution regularly changes what the government can prove.

Challenging Conspiracy and RICO Allegations

Federal prosecutors add conspiracy and RICO charges to gambling cases to maximize sentencing exposure. Our firm challenges these allegations by demonstrating that our client’s role was limited, peripheral, or unconnected to the broader alleged enterprise. Limiting or eliminating conspiracy and RICO counts can mean the difference between a manageable resolution and decades of combined sentencing exposure.

Why Los Angeles Clients Choose The Law Offices of Arash Hashemi

Attorney Hashemi has been defending clients against gambling charges at both the state and federal level in Los Angeles for over 20 years. He handles every case personally from the first call through the final resolution with no handoffs and no junior associates standing between you and the attorney working your defense. He is admitted to practice before all California State Courts and the United States District Court for the Central District of California giving clients complete coverage whether their case is prosecuted locally or in federal court. When you call our office you speak to the attorney handling your case. When you walk into court he is standing beside you.

Contact a Los Angeles Illegal Gambling Attorney Today

 If you have been charged with illegal gambling or are under investigation in Los Angeles contact our office immediately. Gambling cases often involve related charges that carry far greater exposure than the base offense and the earlier our firm is involved the more options you have to challenge the charges and protect your future.

Contact our office today for a free confidential consultation with a Los Angeles illegal gambling attorney who will review your case, explain your options, and begin building your defense from day one.

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We serve clients facing gambling charges across Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Santa Monica, the San Fernando Valley, Long Beach, and all surrounding communities. Your defense starts the moment you call.