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BSS Betonsports

265.00
0.00 (0.00%)
28 Mar 2024 - Closed
Delayed by 15 minutes
Share Name Share Symbol Market Type Share ISIN Share Description
Betonsports LSE:BSS London Ordinary Share GB00B01CDB60 ORD 1P
  Price Change % Change Share Price Bid Price Offer Price High Price Low Price Open Price Shares Traded Last Trade
  0.00 0.00% 265.00 - 0.00 00:00:00
Industry Sector Turnover Profit EPS - Basic PE Ratio Market Cap
0 0 N/A 0

Betonsports Share Discussion Threads

Showing 401 to 417 of 425 messages
Chat Pages: 17  16  15  14  13  12  11  10  9  8  7  6  Older
DateSubjectAuthorDiscuss
03/11/2009
20:37
BetOnSports.com founder gets 4-plus years

Nov 02, Technology/Internet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(AP) -- The founder of the online gambling site BetOnSports.com was sentenced Monday to more than four years in prison, ending a lengthy investigation and prosecution into one of the world's largest offshore sports gambling companies.

Gary Kaplan, 50, must also forfeit $43.6 million in illegally obtained revenue as part of a plea agreement. Prosecutors have said that amounts to more than half of Kaplan's total worth.

Kaplan pleaded guilty in August to racketeering conspiracy, violating the Wire Wager Act and conspiring to violate it. Prosecutors had been investigating offshore sports gambling since 1997, and BetOnSports since 2001.

Kaplan, sentenced to four years and three months, could end up spending another year behind bars. He has been jailed for two years and seven months since his March 2007 arrest in Puerto Rico. U.S. District Judge Carol Jackson said it will be up to the Bureau of Prisons to determine if he is given credit for time served. Attorneys in the case noted that federal rules call for him serving 85 percent of the 51-month sentence, minus whatever credit he may be given for time served.

Online gaming is illegal in the U.S., and in 2006, a federal grand jury indicted Kaplan, his company and several associates. Three other former executives, including two of Kaplan's siblings, have pleaded guilty and will be sentenced Tuesday. A fourth will be sentenced later.

Kaplan, a high-school dropout who started out as a New York bookie, founded the offshore betting company in 1995, setting up entities in Aruba, Antigua and eventually Costa Rica. The firm solicited U.S. citizens to place sports wagers by phone and over the Internet directly from their accounts.

In his guilty plea in August, Kaplan said BetOnSports had 1 million registered customers and accepted more than 10 million sports bets worth more than $1 billion in 2004 alone. His company, by then based in Costa Rica, employed 1,700 people.

Kaplan took BetOnSports public on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market in 2004, which netted him more than $100 million that was deposited in Swiss bank accounts. For the next two years, he served as a BetOnSports consultant.

Prosecutors said the company falsely advertised that its gambling operations were legal, and misled gamblers into believing that money transferred to BetOnSports was safe and available to withdraw at any time. Instead, investigators said, the money was used to expand operations, including purchase of a rival betting firm.

When BetOnSports ceased operation in 2006, customers lost more than $16 million.

Kaplan told Jackson in August that he initially believed that adhering to the laws in Aruba, Antigua, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and the United Kingdom kept him in good stead with U.S. laws. But he said he became aware as early as 2000 that such dealings violated U.S. law, and got confirmation in a legal opinion in 2002. Yet, he kept operating.

Kaplan apologized to the judge Monday for the "pain and embarrassment" he caused to his family, and said he'd "paid a monumental price for poor decisions." His attorneys said that Kaplan, from his jail cell, has made six-figure contributions to St. Louis-area charities in recent months.

Jackson said while recognizing Kaplan's generosity, she was "a little put off" by letters she's received from those charities on his behalf.

"When I make a charitable contribution, I don't expect credit," she said. "I hope you will continue to support worthy charitable organizations even when it doesn't further any personal interest you may have."

The case could have been filed anywhere in the U.S., but the Eastern District of Missouri's former U.S. Attorney, Catherine Hanaway, was aggressive in going after online gambling operations.

©2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

ed winchester
11/3/2008
13:52
Where's my money, main?
scarface1983
25/5/2007
16:21
Not now after todays news
floppyjoe
30/3/2007
21:03
Some interesting news today re Bail of ex CEO and arrest of founder.Does the WTO| decision make any difference?
smicker
12/9/2006
18:05
This is ridiculous. What about us shareholders? Will these shares ever trade again?
scarface1983
18/8/2006
20:40
frame the share certificate alongside your enron and Bre-x ones
cornelious billy bee
16/8/2006
13:40
"Judging by the reaction to BetonSports's US closure, you'd have thought that no one had ever warned investors that gambling in the US might be a problem. The Observer reports that shareholders in BetonSports are "considering taking legal action against the company's advisers - Evolution Securities and Baker Tilly...institutional investors are unhappy that the history of Betonsports founder Gary Kaplan was not made clear in the company's offer document."

Mr Kaplan, who has reportedly fled to Israel, is also wanted by the US authorities. He previously had gambling-related run-ins with the US in 1993 and has a somewhat colourful past.
...
But it's not difficult to understand why investors are panicking. Given that the BetonSports still has to settle up with betting account holders in the US, it may find its Asian businesses under threat. Greg Feehely at Altium told The Independent: "This is pretty much a worst-case scenario for shareholders. The group's Asian-facing businesses may need to be sold to settle all outstanding liabilities leaving little or nothing for equity investors."

nabeel4975
15/8/2006
11:55
Other companies are closing down their telephone services but are not overly affected so long as online business remains untouched. BetCorp for example (click on relevant piece in this site):
bones
11/8/2006
09:53
what happens to shareholders now?
declan2
11/8/2006
06:40
Looks like US gaming companies will take a pasting today. Watch out party gaming (80%) us facing
thecleaner
07/8/2006
21:44
Will the dividend still be paid even if the shares are suspended?
smicker
02/8/2006
20:44
Interested in a gambling play in smaller caps then check out - up 8.8% today. []. Imminent launch of in Sept, a 3D immersive online Real-Money Poker game with VOIP [Voice over IP - world first for poker] for online chat! Aimed at the UK and European Market where legislation is unlikely to effect online gambling like in the US although that looks unlikely . revenue sharing deals in place - and . New broker/nomad and PR in place, all ready for go live. Potential for 10 bags full.

Advfn Thread

- Peter Shealock of Growth Company Investor has BIT as one of his 2 top tips for 2006

Comment from
"We anticipate that the arrival of Pokerwize will signal the beginning of the end for 2D poker."

t0ptrader
01/8/2006
09:44
Post removed by ADVFN
Abuse team
29/7/2006
09:29
why the anti-igaming bill wont go thrue ever, take a lough on that. nice weekend, roho
roho
25/7/2006
17:53
Nice piece on Uk-analyst tonight worth a read for a laugh.

Their campaign to reinstate the BetonSports One.

The Stock Market Report for Tuesday July 25th from UK-Analyst.com

tole
25/7/2006
10:19
Clarity - 16 Jul'04 - 14:19 - 1 of 373

There's a lot of rumour in the US Bulletin Boards about the integrity of these guys ? If the US Boards are to be believed they pay customers poorly, they have a "Gentlemans Club" in the office and the lead man a Mr Kiplan isnt even mentioned in the Prospectus (which I havent seen). Alledgedly he is linked to dodgy people. Usually there's no smoke without fire so I'd urge initial caution.

rather prescient eh?

omalaha
25/7/2006
06:25
how to kick a man while he's down...no loyalty there i see
br1anclough
Chat Pages: 17  16  15  14  13  12  11  10  9  8  7  6  Older

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