The founder of the London-listed internet gambling outfit BetOnSports has been sentenced to more than four years in prison after pleading guilty to racketeering conspiracy and other charges in a US district court. Gary Kaplan, 50, was also ordered to forfeit nearly $43.7m.
Kaplan admitted that, beginning in the mid- to late-1990s, he set up business entities offshore in Aruba, Antigua and Costa Rica to provide sportsbook services to US residents through internet web sites and toll-free telephone numbers. According to federal prosecutors, BetOnSports and its principals advertised throughout the United States, falsely claiming that the firm's internet and telephone gambling operations were legal and licensed. US law, however, only permits gambling in casinos and other well-regulated establishments and prohibits Americans from placing wagers on internet web sites.
Court documents stated that BetOnSports was highly successful and attracted a large number of US customers. By 2004, the
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