Several Big Name Denver Businesses, Individuals Tied to Sports Betting Bust

Charlie Brown’s Bar and Grill maintained a $290,000 limit account there while Sports Column and Blake Street Tavern also placed their bets with what the Colorado Bureau of Investigation is calling the biggest bookmaking operation in the state.

Daniel Dinner and Michael Elick were arrested after investigators seized more than $1 million in cash from their homes in July.  Now court documents have revealed some of their alleged big name clients.

In addition to the sports bars, clients apparently included former Denver Post sports reporter Jim Armstrong and Steve Sander, a member of the Metro Denver Sports Commission's board of directors.  Some individual clients were provided with $50,000 credit limits.

The bookmaking operations, which has been in business for over 35 years, according to court documents, had also conducted business online through the now defunct BetJerrys.com.  That bookmaking call center was indicted over the summer.

Dinner and Elick are being charged under the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act, and with multiple counts of professional gambling.  Most of the clients will not face charges, according to prosecutors.

- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com