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One of the biggest online sportsbetting and gambling operators, Sportingbet has settled with the US authorities to pay $33 million for violating US gambling laws.
Preet Bharara, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, has announced that they have reached a non-prosecution agreement with Sportingbet, according to which Sportingbet will pay $33 million because of having provided illegal Internet gambling services to US customers.
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Sportingbet has been offering real-money sports betting, poker and casino games to US players between 1998 and 2006. In 2001, Sportingbet decided to start using certain methods to confuse the issuers of credit cards that were disallowing Internet gambling for their cards. Sportingbet displayed gambling transactions in a way that could be misinterpreted and also disguised payments of winnings to US customers.
Sportingbet has now agreed to cooperate in the federal investigation by providing all the documents required and making employees available for interviews with investigators.
In my opinion, this non-prosecution settlement is quite a fortunate outcome for Sportingbet, as they would certainly have to pay more if prosecuted.
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In the meantime, Sportingbet has announced the start of a four-year partnership with English Premier League football team Tottenham Hotspur. The brand logo will be featured in the White Hart Lane Stadium, displayed in advertisements and communication channels.
Sportingbet said they will use their new partnership to provide hospitality and match tickets to “engage with the club’s established fan base and build the brand further internationally”.