Over 60 people arrested in bust, utilizing online gambling and betting

A big raid by police officers and other officials rounded up 64 suspects in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut this morning for running an illegal betting and gambling operation.

According to the authorities, the sports gambling ring used an online betting website based in Costa Rica to process the bets placed by their clients, while the runners (people who collect the bets on the streets) were responsible for generating new business within the three states. In New Jersey alone there were 47 people arrested, and in New York two of the suspects are former NYC police officers. A substantial amount of cash and assets has been seized by the authorities and numerous bank accounts have been closed pending the investigation.

It appears to be a classic Mafia-style operated sports betting business, as quite a few of the arrested are individuals 70+ years old. It has not been officially confirmed yet, but it is most likely that the arrested will be charged under the RICO act.

OGPaper.com reminds its readers from the United States, that it is illegal to place bets over the phone or through a "bookie". Always bet on sports through authorized and licensed companies.

03/28/2007