Ring Leaders in Violent California Sports Betting Ring Sentenced: Got Off Light

Two brothers, both of whom were ring leaders of a violent California-based illegal sports betting ring, have been sentenced to less than two years in prison and each must pay a fine of $50,000.  Each had been facing up to 20 years prison time.

Erik Portocarrero, 44, and his brother, Jan Harald Portocarrero, 42, ran Macho Sports out of both California and the South American nation of Peru. 

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on,

Donald Trump and the Mob: His Ties are Extensive According to Report

Last week, Chris Frates, CNN Investigative Correspondent, published an intriguing report on real estate mogul and GOP Presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s dealings with the Mob

Trump's alleged ties to New York and Philadelphia crime families go back decades and have been recounted in a book, newspapers and government records, Frates notes.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on,

Gambler Drops Cocaine on Casino Floor: Gets $300 Fine

A gambler in Australia charged with dropping 0.34 grams of cocaine on a table while gambling plead guilty and received a $300 fine.

The Australian Broadcast Corporation reported that the drugs fells out of his wallet when he was grabbing money to place a bet.

He continued to try to gamble, shrugging off the incident and telling police the cocaine was “just a few party drugs for tonight”.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on,

Gambling Kingpin Wang Bo Deported Back to China

The Philippines Bureau of Immigration on Thursday confirmed the deportation of Chinese gambling lord Wang Bo. 

BI Spokesperson Elaine Tan said that Wang was escorted by four Chinese nationals and boarded a flight back to Guangzhou, China on Thursday at 9 am.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima issued the summary deportation (SDO) order for Wang last March.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on,

Baaaaaad Boys: Mafia Figures ‘Sheep’ Code Broken by Authorities

(Reuters) - Police in Sicily arrested 11 suspected mobsters they believe were helping Sicilian mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro evade capture and spread his orders to the rest of the criminal organisation - via handwritten notes.

The suspects used coded language to communicate with the highest-ranking Sicilian mob boss currently at large, police said in a statement.

Submitted by Reuters on,

Malta Suspends Nine Online Gambling Licenses in Wake of Mafia Scandal

One of the largest online gambling jurisdictions, Malta, has come under extreme scrutiny in recent days following news that a former prime minister’s son had ties to the Italian mafia, more specifically he ‘Ndrangheta crime syndicate.

Last week, Italian authorities €2bn (£1.4bn, $2.2bn) of assets that belonged to the organization.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on,

BetOnSports Founder Must Pay $36 Mil in Back Taxes: Loses Appeal

ST. LOUIS (Associated Press) - A federal appeals court has rejected attempts by the founder of a former online betting site to avoid paying $36 million in delinquent taxes and penalties, dismissing claims that his plea deal in a related criminal case precluded the government from pursuing the debt.

Submitted by Associated Press on,

Investigators Under Investigation in Criminal Casino Case

BOSTON (Associated Press) - A federal judge heard arguments Wednesday over allegations that private investigators working for Wynn Resorts gained unauthorized access to files in a joint state and federal criminal probe that now figures into Massachusetts's biggest casino project.

U.S. District Court Magistrate Marianne Bowler took the arguments under advisement and is expected to decide whether to hold a hearing on the allegations as requested by defense lawyers for former owners of the waterfront property where Wynn wants to develop a $1.7 billion casino.

Submitted by Associated Press on,

‘Frankie The Flea’, ‘The Worm’ and Other BetEagle Agents Lead to Owner’s Sentencing

The owner of long established Costa Rica-based online and call center bookmaker BetEagle.com has been sentenced to 18 months behind bars by a U.S. District Court judge.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on,

High Stakes Gamblers Were Allowed to Abuse Dealers, Throw Bananas, Urinate on Walls

Transcripts of a May hearing before the Mohegan Sun tribal gaming commission reveal that high rollers were allowed to abuse dealers, urinate on walls, throw bananas at fellow gamblers and expect rules to be bent at the tables. 

BetOnline

Submitted by Nagesh Rath on,

Notorious Philly Mobster’s Son Sentenced to 30 Years in Racketeering Conspiracy

The son of notorious Philadelphia mobster Nicodemo Scarfo has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for racketeering. 

Nicodemo Scarfo Jr. is accused of stealing $12 million from shareholders of a publicly traded Texas financial firm. 

The younger Scarfo allegedly used false SEC filings and made threats to cause economic harm as a form of shaking down existing company management.  His father was sentenced to 55 years for a similar crime.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on,

Whitey Bulger Attorney Wants Racketeering Conviction Overturned

BOSTON – (Associated Press) - Lawyers for a Boston gangster have asked an appeals court to overturn his racketeering conviction, saying his trial was unfair.

One of James "Whitey" Bulger's lawyers argued Monday before the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that Bulger's right to a fair trial was violated when he was barred from testifying about his claim that he received immunity from a federal prosecutor.

He also argued that prosecutors didn't turn over information about certain details of an agreement he says they had with a hit man who was a key witness against Bulger.

Submitted by Associated Press on,

Affective and RevenueJet Affiliate Owners Indicted for Fraud

Two Israeli online gambling operators indicted for money laundering, fraud and identity theft ran two of the more lucrative affiliate programs tied to numerous online casino brands. 

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on,

Israeli Men Tied to JP Morgan Hacking Involved in Online Gambling

The Israeli online gambling sector, long prominent and pioneering, took a major hit this week when it was revealed that hackers from that nation had ties to Web gambling.

An indictment was filed in New York against Israeli citizens Gery Shalon, 31, and Ziv Orenstein, 40.  Charges include money laundering, identity theft and fraud. 

Both men are accused in the brazen 2014 database hacking of U.S. based bank JP Morgan.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on,

Italy Seizes Assets Worth $2.95 Billion Belonging to the Mafia

Italian police have seized assets worth up to $2.95 billion said to belong to organized crime in the latest sting against The 'Ndrangheta.

Italy’s most powerful crime syndicate controls much of Europe’s cocaine trade, more than 1500 betting shops, 82 online gambling sites and some 60 other companies engaging in so-called “sin industries”.   Profits from the trade, which is worth billions, were laundered through the gambling empire.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on,

China Feared Sheldon Adelson Casinos Used by CIA to Snare Officials

A report, uncovered by the Investigative Reporting Program at the University of California, Berkeley, suggests the CIA was using Macau casinos, including those owned by billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, to entrap Chinese officials who may have been gambling with public money.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on,

Michael Sam Splits With Mobbed Up Fiancé: Now on the Prowl in Hollywood

The NFL’s first openly gay player, Michael Sam, has broken up with his long time boyfriend, Vito Cammisano.

BetOnline

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Cincinnati Horseshoe Casino Employees Indicted for Cheating

Three former casino workers at the Cincinnati Horseshoe were indicted this past week for alleged cheating.

Submitted by Ace King on,

Michigan Appeals Court Affirms Convictions of Siblings Accused of Cheating Casino

Detroit — (Associated Press) - The ball landed on 14 for a big winning bet. But the court case? Snake eyes.

The Michigan appeals court has affirmed the convictions of a brother and sister who were accused of cheating at roulette at the Motor City Casino in Detroit.

James Countryman was working as a dealer in 2012 when his sister, India Countryman, suddenly won $4,700. But investigators said surveillance video shows her bet was placed after the ball landed on red 14.

The siblings denied any wrongdoing.

Submitted by Associated Press on,

Judge Keeps Legal Doc Sealed in Case That May Tie Sands Corp to Organized Crime

LAS VEGAS (Associated Press) — A Nevada judge is keeping sealed a legal exhibit that a newspaper, a union and a Washington, DC-based advocacy group sought to make public in a closely-watched wrongful termination case against casino company Las Vegas Sands Corp., Sands China Ltd. and the companies' chairman Sheldon Adelson.

Guardian News & Media, the Campaign for Accountability and union Unite Here argued Thursday the public should see the exhibit the groups say may tie the companies to organized crime in Asia.

Submitted by Associated Press on,

Avoiding Legal Trouble with Pay Per Head Solutions

Sports betting in the United States is a billion dollar industry, but other than in the state of Nevada it also has some serious legal challenges especially when it comes to the actual financial transactions in the act of taking bets.

Submitted by Matt Skinner on,

John Gotti Former Son-In-Law Arrested for Alleged ‘Large-Scale’ Car Theft

The former son-in-law of the late crime boss John Gotti has been taken into police custody for running an alleged “large-scale” car theft ring.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on,

How Do Bookies Make Money? Online Casinos, Live Betting Help Pad Profit Margin

Bookies make money through smart money management and knowing how and when to move the lines.  Most bookies – especially those with large client bases – utilize Price Per Head companies to do this for them.

Submitted by C Costigan on,

City of Boston Claims Wynn Representatives Were Aware of Mob Association

(Associated Press) - Recently discovered interviews with at least five people show that Wynn Resorts knew that a mob associate with felony convictions would profit from his stake in the waterfront land where the Las Vegas casino giant plans to build a resort, the city of Boston argued in its latest court filings.

Submitted by Associated Press on,

Son of Former Genovese Crime Boss Sentenced to Over Two Years for Illegal Gambling

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (Associated Press) - A reputed mob member has been sentenced to just over 2 years in prison for running an illegal gambling business.

Daniel Pagano was also given three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine when he was sentenced Friday in federal court in White Plains.

Submitted by Associated Press on,

FSU 2015-2016 ACC Conference Championship Odds May Take Hit With More Bad News

(Gambling911.com Sports Wire) – First it was that horrifying video of quarterback De’Andre Johnson slugging a girl in a bar followed by a subsequent suspension, now comes word that FSU running back Dalvin Cook may be charged with battery, assuming State attorney Willie Meggs gets his way.

Submitted by Don Shapiro on,

Curfew for Crime Boss Tied to Two Homicides Relaxed As Wife is Set to Get New Kidney

Crime boss Rocco Arico has had his strict curfew relaxed from 9 pm to 6 am to 1 am to 5 am following news that his wife is about to undergo a kidney transplant.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on,

Man Accused of Bringing Counterfeit Chips to Poker Tournament Indicted on Theft

TRENTON, NJ (Associated Press) - A North Carolina man accused of bringing millions of dollars in counterfeit poker chips to a tournament in New Jersey has been indicted on theft charges.

Submitted by Associated Press on,

Gambino Crime Family Captain Appeals Guilty Verdict in Murder Over Spilled Drink

A Gambino crime family captain convicted in 2013 for the murder of two bar owners over a spilled drink is appealing the guilty verdict.

Bartolomeo “Bobby Glasses” Vernace was convicted of racketeering conspiracy spanning 1978 through 2011.  Charges included heroin trafficking, robbery, loansharking, illegal gambling and the 1981 double homicide of bar owners Richard Godkin and John D’Agnese. 

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on,

Italian Authorities Seize $1.7 Billion in Real Life ‘Godfather’ Case

Italian authorities have taken control of $1.76 billion from a Sicilian construction company believed to have ties to organized crime in Corleone.

The Corleone name became synonymous with the Italian Mafia thanks to the Francis Ford Coppola classic film “The Godfather” and its two sequels. 

Unlike the “Godfather” fictional Coleones, the real-life Mafia family appears less interested in gambling enterprises and more interested in winning contracts of – drum roll please – honest businessmen.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on,

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