Rapper Nelly has agreed to pay a $750 fine in exchange for assault charges to be dropped over an incident at a casino in Missouri last year.
A security guard at the Ameristar Casino in St. Louis claimed that Nelly shoved him when asked to show his player’s card.
Nelly was charged with misdemeanor assault in September 2025, but the entertainer denied the allegations.
Instead, he has agreed to pay the $750 fine for a misdemeanor littering charge stemming from trash he threw at the casino.
Incident Caught on CCTV
A spokesperson for Nelly, real name Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., said the rapper was “stunned to receive a summons” over the incident when “an overzealous guard blocked his path and invaded his space.”
“Nelly guided him aside with minimal contact and no harm,” said the singer’s representative. “Management later apologized and welcomed Nelly back [to the casino].”
TMZ released footage of the alleged incident, showing Nelly attempting to enter an area of the casino, only to be blocked by a security guard. The rapper appears to slightly push the guard before walking through the barriers.
Nelly a Target for ‘Overzealous’ Authorities at Casinos
Nelly was previously arrested at the Hollywood Casino and Hotel in St. Louis in 2024. His attorney, Scott Rosenblum, similarly described his arrest as the result of a confrontation with an “overzealous” officer.
Rosenblum said Nelly had won several casino jackpots when gambling at the property. When he sought to collect his winnings, the officer who would have supervised the transaction “needlessly” ran a search for warrants.
Nelly had been found operating a vehicle without proper proof of insurance, and a judge issued a warrant in December 2023.
Once the officer found the outstanding warrant, he cuffed Nelly’s hands behind his back and “felt compelled” to “parade him through the casino in front of other customers”, Rosenblum said.
The officer also claimed to have found four ecstasy pills when searching the rapper. Those charges were also later dropped.
“We don’t believe the facts in this case warrant the issuing of charges,” a spokesperson told the LA Times in a statement.
Gambling in Missouri Under Scrutiny
Nelly is said to be a regular patron of casinos in Missouri. Gambling in the state has come under scrutiny this week, with an Indian national admitting to running six illegal gambling arcades.
Like Nelly, Rahulkumar D. Patel accepted a plea deal in the case. Patel pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The illegal gambling operation generated over $7.5 million in proceeds from using slot machines at arcades primarily located in Springfield.
Patel faces a heftier punishment than Nelly, with the charges carrying maximum prison sentences of 20, five, and 20 years, respectively.
