Skybook.com Owner Sentenced to 2.5 Years in Prison

A St. Charles, Louisiana man, Anthony Buttitta, 43, has been sentenced to 2.5 years behind bars for tax evasion.  He and his father, Dominic Buttitta, 69, of South Barrington, plead to two felony counts filed against them in U.S. District Court and were sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Milton Shadur.

The younger Buttitta ran websites Skybook.com, Largejoe.com, Theredhotel.com, and others based in Costa Rica during the years 2005 and 2009.  Skybook has had numerous ownership changes over the years and is regarded as one of the oldest offshore sportsbooks still in existence today, having first opened up shop in Porlamar, Venezuela during the mid-90’s before relocating to its current home in San Jose, Costa Rica.    

Both men must pay over $1.31 million in restitution to the IRS and another $400,000 to the US Government. 

Both men admitted to skimming approximately $3.7 million in cash from a Gentlemen’s Club they ran in the town of Elgin, Louisiana. 

- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com