Sportsbook News

Skrill Unauthorized Logins Have Online Gamblers Worried

A spate of reported unauthorized Skrill logins have the online gambling community on edge.

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Skrill, formerly known as Moneybookers, is a popular money transfer platform for those gamblers living outside the United States.  It is similar to PayPal. 

Submitted by Ace King on, May/20/2013

Ware is he Now: Former WSEX.com Owner Lives in German Brewery

A co-founder of now defunct World Sports Exchange (WSEX.com), Hayden Ware, is living quite the intoxicating life, Gambling911.com can report.

Hidin' Ware?

Ware and his German-born wife now reside in a converted German brewery. 

The Wares paid around 655,000 euros (about $890,000) for the 3,230-square-foot space located in Berlin.

Whether any of that money belongs to players of WSEX.com is unknown as Ware’s involvement in the shuttered online gambling company during its later years remains somewhat of a mystery.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, May/16/2013

Blue Monday’ Online Gambling Beneficiaries Jailed, Forced to Resign

It’s been nearly two years since close to a dozen online gambling domain names were seized as part of a payment processing sting operation. 

Submitted by Alejandro Botticelli on, May/13/2013

Undercover FBI Agents Placed Bets on Legends.com, Won and Lost Thousands

FBI agents from the Oklahoma City office placed bets with Panama City-based Legends.com (known also as Legends.com and Legendz.com) as part of a nearly 10-year investigation leading to the indictment of nearly three dozen individuals.

Submitted by C Costigan on, May/07/2013

San Francisco Examiner: WSEX Founder Killed Himself With Illegal Gun

Tom Somach reports in the San Francisco Examiner Sunday that Steve Schillinger of Word Sports Exchange, who killed himself last month, had an illegal gun and Antigua police are investigating how he got it, where and from whom he got it.....Read the Sunday edition story on Schillinger by clicking here.

Submitted by C Costigan on, May/05/2013

San Francisco Examiner to Cover Steve Schillinger Suicide

Gambling911.com can confirm that the San Francisco Examiner,, one of America’s most prominent newspapers, will be running a feature story on the death of World Sports Exchange founder Steve Schillinger.  That story was expected to be published on Sunday (May 5, 2013). 

Submitted by C Costigan on, May/04/2013

WSEX Founder Left Suicide Note: Hated Having to Stiff Customers

World Sports Exchange founder Steve Shillinger reportedly left a suicide note behind prior to taking a gun to his head last week.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Apr/30/2013

Equity Group Sports Betting Bill Clears Nevada Senate

A bill allowing private equity groups to place large wagers at Nevada sportsbooks has passed with a near unanimous vote on Tuesday.  Senate Bill 346 will now head to the Assembly for a vote. 

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Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Apr/24/2013

Schillinger had Questionable Past: Was Fugitive Right Up to ‘Suicide’

World Sports Exchange founder Steve Schillinger came under fire early on in his offshore gambling days.  This past weekend, one of online gambling’s pioneers was found dead in his Antigua condo, shot in the head, in a story first broken by Gambling911.com on Monday morning

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Apr/24/2013

Will BuddyBet be the Next Social Online Gambling Phenom

Social gambling website BuddyBet has secured $3 million in funding from private investors.

BuddyBet lets buddies play against one another as opposed to playing against the actual website or a bookmaker.  The site itself focuses exclusively on sports betting but will move into other sectors in the coming months.

VentureBeat.com explains the BuddyBet concept:

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Apr/23/2013

Foul Play Not Ruled Out in Shooting Death of WSEX.com Founder Steve Schillinger

Homicide detectives on the Caribbean island of Antigua have not ruled out homicide in the shooting death of World Sports Exchange (WSEX.com) founder Steve Schillinger. 

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The 60-year-old businessman was found dead in his Darkroom Beach condominium late Friday.  He had been shot in the head with a .380 pistol. 

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Apr/23/2013

Foxwoods Inks Deal With GameAccount

Foxwoods parent company, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, has inked a partnership deal with GameAccount Network as a means of pursuing legalized online gambling in the US.

Initially, the site will offer play-for-fun Web gambling. Other operators could ultimately join the Foxwoods network.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Apr/22/2013

Legends Sports Defendant Spiros Athanas Helped Police Solve Brutal Murder

A man indicted for his alleged role in a massive sports betting ring actually helped US authorities capture a vicious killer, Gambling911.com can reveal.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Apr/22/2013

WSEX Founder Shoots Self in Head: Commits Suicide

World Sports Exchange founder Steve Shillinger killed himself late Saturday, it was learned by Gambling911.com.

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The company he founded was forced to shut down this past week as it was insolvent.

Shillinger shot himself in the head.

It was not immediately clear if the other two founders of WSEX.com, Hayden Ware and Jay Cohen, still had access to player funds.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Apr/22/2013

The Legends Sports WagerWeb Bailout Explained

A number of Gambling911.com readers have inquired as to the nature of a 5-time rollover requirement in order to withdraw funds from their Legends Sports betting accounts, which are now in the process of being transferred over to WagerWeb.  Good news, WagerWeb has informed Gambling911 that the rollver requirement is now 5 times (not 10). 

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Apr/21/2013

Bet365 Family Coates Become Britain’s First Gambling Billionaires

Congratulations to Peter Coates, 75, his daughter Denise, 45, and son John, 43.  The Coates family are about to become Great Britain’s first billionaires of gambling.

The elder Coates started Bet365 while his daughter is widely credited for building the brand’s online presence.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Apr/20/2013

WagerWeb Takes Over Legends Sports Accounts: 5 X Rollover Required

Not exactly the most attractive deal in the world but WagerWeb.com is a good book and the situation could be far worse all things considered.  They have informed Gambling911.com that the rollover requirement for the Legends bailout is 5 x as opposed to the previously reported 10 x.  Good news for Legends customers indeed.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Apr/20/2013

Legends Sports to Shut Down: Will Transfer Accounts to Other Book

Exactly one week after indictments were handed down against 34 individuals tied to Panama-based Legends Sports, that long established sportsbook has made the decision to shut down.

Legends alerted customers via email that they were in talks with another top online sportsbook to have all accounts transferred.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Apr/17/2013

Spiros ‘The Greek’ Athanas Released on $1 Million Bond

One of online sports betting’s most legendary bookmakers, Spiros “The Greek” Athanas, has been released on $1 million bond according to court documents.

Athanas, one of 34 charged last Wednesday in connection to his alleged role in a multi-billion dollar sports betting ring, turned himself in two days later.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Apr/16/2013

Vegas Refunds Celtics-Pacers Season Win Total Bets

In light of Monday’s tragic terrorist bombings at the Boston Marathon, Las Vegas sportsbooks have decided to refund all Celtics/Pacers season win total bets, according to Randy J. Bell of Pregame.com.  It was not immediately clear if online sportsbooks would follow suit.

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Submitted by Tyrone Black on, Apr/16/2013

Guns, Online Gambling Ensure Bitcoin Staying Power

As long as online gambling remains on the fringe of legality in nations across the globe, Bitcoin should emerge as a viable alternative currency for the industry as more operators come to embrace it.

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And then there are guns.

With US efforts to curb gun sales through expansion of background checks, Bitcoin suddenly becomes more attractive to gun sellers and buyers.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Apr/15/2013

Winklevoss Twins Own 1 Percent of All Bitcoins: $1.3 Billion

The virtual currency Bitcoin may have lost nearly 75 percent of its value in recent days, remarkably bringing it back to last month’s levels, but that hasn’t stopped the Winklevoss twins from owning 1 percent of Bitcoin, equivalent to $1.3 billion.

BetOnline

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Apr/11/2013

Business as Un-Usual: Legends Sports Still Paying Out Within Hours

While no official statement has been issued by the betting company following Wednesday’s shocking wave of indictments by US law enforcement, a few customers of Legends.com (also found at www.legends.eu) have reported payouts within just a matter of hours on Thursday.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Apr/11/2013

First Ever Online Gambling Affiliate Indicted for Recommending Website

In the first case of its kind, an online gambling affiliate based in the US has been named in an indictment for promoting an online sportsbook by simply recommending them.

Gregory “Patchman” Roberts was among 34 charged in a sweeping investigation into a sports betting operative, Legends Sports, which authorities claim had operatives based in both the US and in Panama.  Gambling911.com first broke the story Wednesday afternoon.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Apr/11/2013

Law Enforcement Used Skype Wire Taps in Sports Betting Probe Tied to Legends

Law enforcement utilized wire tapping of Skype conversations in an international offshore gambling probe that resulted in charges against principals of Legends Sports in Panama and others.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Apr/11/2013

Legends Sports: ‘All Players Funds Safe Following OKC Indictment’

The US Justice Department out of Oklahoma City filed a 96-page indictment against one of Central America’s oldest US-facing bookmaking operations.  Legends Sports and 34 individuals connected to the lucrative wagering business were charged with running an illegal sports betting ring, a story first broke by Gambling911.com.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Apr/10/2013

57 Charged With Operating Illegal Sports Betting Ring

From FBI Oklahoma Division….It is not immediately known if individuals arrested earlier in the day from Albany, New York were tied to this matter. Both men were charged with their role in an extensive sports betting ring with arrests that were taking place thoughout the country Wednesday.  This story is very fluid....

Head man of TheGreek.com also named in indictment.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Apr/10/2013

Breaking News: Sports Betting Agents Being Rounded Up Throughout Florida

Gambling911.com has learned that the Northern District of New York was in the process of rounding up sportsbook agents throughout the state of Florida and elsewhere.

Details were not immediately known, however, the indictments are currently under seal and G911 has been unable to obtain further information.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Apr/10/2013

BetRevolution.com Confiscates Players Funds: Claims ‘Syndicate’ Play

Online sportsbook BetRevolution.com has come under fire in recent days for reportedly confiscating $26,908 from two players citing syndicate betting, according to the website SportsBookReview.com.

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According to the SBR site:

Submitted by C Costigan on, Apr/07/2013

NATIXIS Issues ‘Buy’ Rating for Gambling Powerhouse William Hill

NATIXIS reissued a ‘buy’ rating on shares of England’s biggest bookmaker and online gambling firm William Hill with a target price of $7.16 on its stock. 

This move follows JPMorgan Chase cutting their price target on shares of William Hill from $7.70 to $7.33 in a research note to investors on March 21st.

Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Apr/01/2013

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