The Biggest Online Gambling Scandals In Recent Years
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Gambling can be a fun way to spend time, especially if you are using some of the top-tier iGaming operators in the business. However, this doesn’t mean that you will always have fun. You may find yourself in a situation where you will be involved in a betting scandal that will ruin your experience.
Speaking of scandals, there have been many different stories over the years. Some are a lot more interesting than others, so it’s time to learn more about some of them.
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Amit Patel’s Stole $22M
One of the most recent gambling scandals that became popular involves a person called Amit Patel. The latter received a 6.5-year sentence for fraud because, according to the facts, he stole $22 million from the Jaguars. The latter is the team he was a part of.
Once he had access to the money, Patel decided to use some of it for online gambling. In addition, this person used the funds to live a luxury lifestyle that included renting jets, buying expensive stuff, and more.
Money Laundering case in Singapore
One reason some people are not fans of online gambling is money laundering. Casinos have been fighting this for years, but it seems like they can’t deal with every case. One such case is from 2023, and it took place in Singapore.
According to the data we have access to, the authorities in Southeast Asian countries have detected a large criminal gang. These people made a living by operating gambling websites that were illegal and used them to launder money. To get an idea of the size of the scheme, the Singaporean authorities believe this is one of the biggest cases in the country.
Based on the data, the police collected close to $736M while raiding different addresses and even arrested 10 people. Overall, the estimates are that close to $3B were laundered using these gambling platforms.
In early June 2024, the last defendant in this case was sentenced to 17 months in prison but one thing is certain – we will remember this case for a long time.
The $1.5M Crypto Scam
Cryptocurrencies have been a part of our lives for some time now. Although some people dislike them, there is no arguing that they have many advantages, making them an attractive asset for many users. Sadly, many people took advantage of them, and one of them was Rashawn Russell.
Although this is not the biggest crypto scam out there, the stats show that this person used to run a “Ponzi” scheme that caused “investors” close to $1.5M. He achieved this by promising investors that they can get a 100% return on their money thanks to trading cryptocurrencies.
What’s interesting is that the investigation revealed that Rashawn Russell used the money he stole to gamble. This is yet another reason why we believe it is important to find an online casino with responsible gambling tools (full stats here) because you can use some of them if you feel like you have a problem with gambling. Judging by what happened with Mr. Russell, he was clearly in such a position.
Gambling Addicts Targeted by Ads
Nowadays, online gambling platforms must be much more innovative than before if they want to attract new customers. Many rely on affiliate programs, whereas others are familiar with betting guides and know how to appeal to more clients by creating online ads. Unfortunately, this is where some users have problems because these ads can even target people who are known to have a gambling addiction.
What’s interesting is that these ads come in a variety of forms. According to some people, they started seeing these ads once they decided to search for one of the authorities that help clients who have problems with gambling. Interestingly, the casinos that advertise their services are usually not a part of these authorities, which means that they do not have any features for responsible gambling.
This may not sound dangerous to some of you, but it can have devastating consequences to some online gamblers. This is the reason why we expect to see a lot more strict T&Cs that advertisers must adhere to. We have already seen this in many parts of the world, such as Bulgaria, where operators used to run gambling ads on TV. Needless to say, this is no longer the case.
Online Gambling May Not Come to Indiana Anytime Soon
Online sports betting and gambling were legalized in some US states a few years ago. However, many places still have not given a green light to these websites, and Indiana is among them.
There have been attempts to legalize online gambling and poker in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Even though nothing happened, people were hoping that 2024 would be different because the support to legalize gambling grew. Sadly, it seems like we will have to wait even more.
The bad news is that Sean Eberhart, the former lawmaker, admitted to taking a bribe from a popular gaming company. Needless to say, this statement surprised everyone and caused the House Speaker and the Senate President to pause the gambling legislation. In other words, we will have to wait to see what happens.
Final Thoughts
These were just some of the most recent scandals in online gambling that we wanted to share with you. Considering what’s happening worldwide, we expect to see even more “hot” controversies in the next couple of years.
Keep in mind that loads of other sports betting scandals affect players from multiple sports and countries, so don’t be surprised if you see something on the news.
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