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The death of Kenneth Weitzner marks the second time in less than 12 months that an online gambling portal owner has died under mysterious circumstances. Weitzner was confirmed dead shortly after 10 am EST Saturday morning along with his wife Jackie in their Chesapeake, Virginia home. Police have confirmed they arrived at the residence that morning and noted the death as a double suicide. "Other" was also noted, suggesting that, while a suicide had been reported, police were yet to conclude the exact cause of death.
Weitzner, who was well known in the community, was among the first online gambling portal owners, focusing mostly on sports betting. The site he founded, ThePrescription.com (later known as therx.com) would later incorporate a popular message forum. Weitzner sold therx.com for over $2 million in 2002 and later opened another similar web portal, EOG.com (Eye On Gambling). Weitzner was also a prolific sports bettor who enjoyed a long standing relationship with noted Vegas professional sports bettor, Billy Walters.
Rumors were swirling all weekend that Weitzner owed significant amounts of money to various individuals though a motive for the deaths is yet to be confirmed. Many in the online gambling community were especially stunned as to why his wife, a grandmother of three, would take her own life.
The Weitzner suicide case marks the second time in less than six months that an online gambling portal owner has died under tragic circumstances.
Andreas Oscarsson, the founder of a popular online poker portal PokerListings.com, was discovered murdered in his native Sweden last July.
Oscarsson had received at least one murder threat before the tragedy. It was later revealed that Oscarsson was to have testified against a man allegedly trying to extort him for $2 million dollars.
Just as with the Oscarsson murder, those enveloped in the online gambling sector will likely continue to speculate on the motives and circumstances surrounding the Weitzner death.
Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
