Two Vegas Casinos Sued for Enabling Sex Trafficking by Nathan Chasing Horse
Posted on: April 29, 2026, 07:07h.
Last updated on: April 29, 2026, 07:13h.
- Two survivors of sex trafficker Nathan Chasing Horse have filed a civil lawsuit against the Cannery and Santa Fe Station casinos, alleging hotel staff ignored obvious signs of trafficking and abuse for nearly ten years
- Chasing Horse — an actor who starred in the 1990 movie Dances With Wolves — received a life sentence last week, following his January conviction
- The lawsuit contends that the locals casinos profited from the long-term stays of Chasing Horse while employees failed to intervene despite witnessing physical bruising and coercive control
Two women are suing Boyd Gaming’s Cannery Casino and Station Casinos’ Santa Fe Station in Las Vegas, claiming they survived nearly a decade of abuse from convicted sex trafficker Nathan Chasing Horse thanks to the properties’ “enabling and profiting from” his actions.
The plaintiffs, identified only as M.L. and C.L., filed the civil lawsuit in Nevada state court on Monday, April 27, 2026, the same day Chasing Horse received a life sentence for trafficking and sexual abuse. The complaint alleges they were trafficked inside both properties from 2014-2022, while hotel employees ignored clear warning signs and failed to intervene.
According to the filing, Chasing Horse routinely booked multiple rooms at each of the locals casinos, often extending his stays and receiving complimentary perks from staff. The lawsuit claims those rooms became the setting for repeated trafficking, with the women forced to engage in sex acts with numerous paid customers of Chasing Horse’s during each stay.
Attorneys argue the volume of foot traffic alone should have alerted hotel workers to criminal activity.
The suit alleges that employees observed bruising on the women, noticed they appeared exhausted and frightened, and saw them being closely monitored by Chasing Horse. Staff allegedly witnessed the women trailing behind him through casino floors, forbidden from speaking to workers or making eye contact.
In some instances, the suit alleges, employees acted as lookouts for Chasing Horse by warning him when police were on the property.
Despite these indicators, the lawsuit claims, neither property took steps to report suspicious behavior or protect the victims. The complaint further accuses both casino companies of failing to implement or enforce anti‑trafficking policies, training, or reporting procedures.
Chasing Time
Chasing Horse — a 50-year-old Native-American actor who starred in the 1990 movie Dances With Wolves — was convicted in January of trafficking and sexual abuse charges in Las Vegas, following a trial in which jurors were required to watch a video that prosecutors said showed him sexually assaulting one of the victims when she was a minor.
Prosecutors described Chasing Horse as a self‑styled spiritual leader who used his sect, which he called “The Circle,” to manipulate and control Indigenous women and girls. The lawsuit echoes those claims, stating the plaintiffs were coerced into believing sexual acts were required as part of their faith.
Attorneys say Chasing Horse used threats, physical violence, isolation, and psychological manipulation to maintain control, and branded the women — and others — with a spider tattoo that would have been visible to hotel staff.
The plaintiffs seek unspecified compensatory and punitive damages for years of alleged abuse and for what they describe as the casinos’ willful disregard of trafficking indicators. A hearing date for the civil case has not yet been set.
