BetonSports shuts down its gaming Web pages
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
BetonSports has taken steps to comply with a temporary restraining order issued by a U.S. federal judge Tuesday.
But at the same time its lawyers in the United States are believed to have asked for a quick hearing to appeal the judicial edict.
Web sites for BetonSports and Millennium Sports now says: "In light of court papers filed in the United States, the company has temporarily suspended this facility pending its ability to assess its full position. During this period no financial or wagering transactions can be executed. Further information will be posted once the company is in a position to do so."
Jaguar Sports International's Web site simply redirects Internet users to BetonSports.
In San Jos? Costa Rica some employees of the company at Mall San Pedro report they have been furloughed.
The company's U.S. lawyers have a tough job.
The temporary restraining order signed Tuesday afternoon by U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry of Missouri's Eastern district accepts as a given that the companies were involved in illegal activities. In signing the order, Judge Perry ruled that the U.S. government would suffer more harm than BetonSports if the order were not granted. because the government is seeking to protect the public interest.
The order is for 10 days, and a hearing is supposed to be held during that time. The government will seek to make the civil injunction permanent. This is a separate court case than the indictment and criminal charges against individuals associated with BetonSports.
In addition to the Costa Rican employees, out in the cold are U.S. bettors who had money posted with BetonSports or its associated companies.
The judge's order told the company to close down its Web sites and its telephone betting operation. It also was told to halt any fund transfers from the United States and advertising of its gambling activity.
The order also prohibits the transfer to third parties of any Internet domain names held by the company. A nine-page, single-spaced list of such names is attached to the order, an estimated 700 domain names. Domain registry companies were ordered not to process any transfers without the permission of the court.
The order also told BetonSports to return to U.S. bettors any funds being held on their behalf for the purpose of gambling. And the company was told to set up a toll-free telephone number for each Web site it operates to provide refund information. The company does not seem to have done this.
The judge also ordered the company to put notices on its Web sites saying that it does
Once-active Web pages contain just a notice
not take bets on sporting events from persons in the United States. This had not been done either.
In addition, the judge ordered the company to take out a full-page ad in a U.S. newspaper of national circulation saying that BetonSports PLC will no longer accept bets from the United States.
The judge also ordered the company to provide a list of all its bank accounts for the last five years, all business records and a list of names under which the company has operated in the United States along with the names of individuals.
If the company complies, the names of U.S. citizens who worked for the company will become known to government investigators.
The company's lawyers are expected to fight each of these demands. The order was prepared and signed without the knowledge of the sportsbook firm with only input from prosecutors and investigators.
Other Costa Rica-based sportsbooks do not seem affected by the plight of BetonSports. There also has been no word from the Costa Rican government.
Although up to 2,000 employees work at the Mall San Pedro operation of BetonSports during the U.S. football and basketball seasons, the number working there this week was not known. Many are bilingual college students, and some are U.S. expats.
David Carruthers, the BetonSports chief executive, is expected to be arraigned on a multitude of charges Friday. He is a British subject and any bail likely will be high. He was arrested Sunday as he changed planes in Dallas, Texas, during a London-San Jose flight.
At large in Costa Rica is Gary Kaplan, a U.S. citizen, and the BetonSports founder who also is named in the 22-county criminal indictment. It is not known if U.S. authorities have asked Costa Rican officials to arrest him. He is the man who was known to BetonSports employees as Greg Champion or simply "G."
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
BetonSports has taken steps to comply with a temporary restraining order issued by a U.S. federal judge Tuesday.
But at the same time its lawyers in the United States are believed to have asked for a quick hearing to appeal the judicial edict.
Web sites for BetonSports and Millennium Sports now says: "In light of court papers filed in the United States, the company has temporarily suspended this facility pending its ability to assess its full position. During this period no financial or wagering transactions can be executed. Further information will be posted once the company is in a position to do so."
Jaguar Sports International's Web site simply redirects Internet users to BetonSports.
In San Jos? Costa Rica some employees of the company at Mall San Pedro report they have been furloughed.
The company's U.S. lawyers have a tough job.
The temporary restraining order signed Tuesday afternoon by U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry of Missouri's Eastern district accepts as a given that the companies were involved in illegal activities. In signing the order, Judge Perry ruled that the U.S. government would suffer more harm than BetonSports if the order were not granted. because the government is seeking to protect the public interest.
The order is for 10 days, and a hearing is supposed to be held during that time. The government will seek to make the civil injunction permanent. This is a separate court case than the indictment and criminal charges against individuals associated with BetonSports.
In addition to the Costa Rican employees, out in the cold are U.S. bettors who had money posted with BetonSports or its associated companies.
The judge's order told the company to close down its Web sites and its telephone betting operation. It also was told to halt any fund transfers from the United States and advertising of its gambling activity.
The order also prohibits the transfer to third parties of any Internet domain names held by the company. A nine-page, single-spaced list of such names is attached to the order, an estimated 700 domain names. Domain registry companies were ordered not to process any transfers without the permission of the court.
The order also told BetonSports to return to U.S. bettors any funds being held on their behalf for the purpose of gambling. And the company was told to set up a toll-free telephone number for each Web site it operates to provide refund information. The company does not seem to have done this.
The judge also ordered the company to put notices on its Web sites saying that it does
Once-active Web pages contain just a notice
not take bets on sporting events from persons in the United States. This had not been done either.
In addition, the judge ordered the company to take out a full-page ad in a U.S. newspaper of national circulation saying that BetonSports PLC will no longer accept bets from the United States.
The judge also ordered the company to provide a list of all its bank accounts for the last five years, all business records and a list of names under which the company has operated in the United States along with the names of individuals.
If the company complies, the names of U.S. citizens who worked for the company will become known to government investigators.
The company's lawyers are expected to fight each of these demands. The order was prepared and signed without the knowledge of the sportsbook firm with only input from prosecutors and investigators.
Other Costa Rica-based sportsbooks do not seem affected by the plight of BetonSports. There also has been no word from the Costa Rican government.
Although up to 2,000 employees work at the Mall San Pedro operation of BetonSports during the U.S. football and basketball seasons, the number working there this week was not known. Many are bilingual college students, and some are U.S. expats.
David Carruthers, the BetonSports chief executive, is expected to be arraigned on a multitude of charges Friday. He is a British subject and any bail likely will be high. He was arrested Sunday as he changed planes in Dallas, Texas, during a London-San Jose flight.
At large in Costa Rica is Gary Kaplan, a U.S. citizen, and the BetonSports founder who also is named in the 22-county criminal indictment. It is not known if U.S. authorities have asked Costa Rican officials to arrest him. He is the man who was known to BetonSports employees as Greg Champion or simply "G."
