Illegal Sports Betting
Illegal sports betting has been all over the news of late, driven by a number of high profile scandals that have hit the headlines:
- According to ESPN, the Lucchese crime family was behind a network of bookmakers across the nation who facilitated roughly $2 million in illegal betting over recent years. The family is facing charges of money laundering, conspiracy, and gambling offenses involving at least two college athletes and up to 30 individuals..
- Illegal sports betting and rigged poker games have been discovered involving a number of NBA teams, including the LA Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, and Miami Heat.
- MLB is responding to a huge scandal involving two pitchers who threw predetermined or bad pitches in order to earn big bucks for betters. Luis Ortiz and Emmanual Clase face 65 years in prison, and several others have received lifetime bans from baseball.
- NHL’s Shane Pinto was suspended for 41 games due to sports betting involving proxy betters who placed bets on his behalf, although none of those bets involved hockey.
Federal Law
The FBI is tasked with combating illegal sports and gaming, which generally includes:
- Illegal operations involving sports and gaming;
- Match-fixing, or game manipulation;
- Doping charges;
- Bribery involving in individuals and/or institutions;
- Threats and/or extortion of athletes, staff, or officials.
Illegal Sportsbooks
The Corruption in Sport and Gaming (CCSG) program looks into illegal sportsbooks, which often operate illegally as a way to ease entry and evade taxation, which occurs because there are no betting limits and reporting requirements. Organized crime frequently uses the profits made from such illegal gambling sites for their other illegal operations, including human trafficking, weapons, and drugs. When unsuspecting individuals get involved with illegal sportsbooks, it can lead to extortion or threats, which can be motivators for debt collection.
Game Manipulation
Officials, athletes, and staff may be approached by criminal entities demanding game manipulation to affect the outcome of specific plays or games, financially benefitting bettors.
Illegal Sportsbook Vendors
Here in Nevada, it will be a long while before FanDuel and DraftKings, the two biggest sportsbook vendors, operate again. That’s because the Nevada Gaming Commission found that the two organizations had the intention of engaging in illegal activities in the sports gambling world.
Nevada Penalizes Operators
Illegal and unlicensed operators — whether in Nevada or not– who accept bets from Nevadans will face new penalties in addition to a $50,000 fine after recent legislation:
- They must forfeit earnings to Nevada’s general fund;
- Some misdemeanor charges will be bumped up to felonies;
- Sweepstakes casinos will face stiffer penalties.
Fighting for You
The experienced Las Vegas criminal defense attorneys at Lobo Law always fight for the best outcomes for our clients. To discuss, schedule a confidential consultation in our Las Vegas office today.
Source:
espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/46957471/14-arrested-mafia-backed-betting-ring-involving-athletes
