14 Accused of Running Gambling Sites Online

U.S. authorities charged 14 people with running gambling sites on the Internet in violation of federal laws. In complaints unsealed in Manhattan Federal Court, the U.S. attorney’s office charged the 14 with using Web sites and telephone lines to bet on U.S. football, basketball, hockey and baseball games, charging a 10% commission per bet. The defendants were charged with using Internet sites to open bettor accounts, usually with a minimum deposit of $500, then accepting bets on games and game-score spreads and maintaining accounts for clients. Client funds were directed to banks or addresses in such offshore locations as Antigua, Curacao, Costa Rica and Panama, where betting is legal. But the complaints alleged that the six operations conducted much of their business within U.S. borders.