Online Gambling Pioneer Sentenced to Three Years Probation
Bill Scott, the founder of once powerful World Wide Tele Sports, has been sentenced to three years of probation for violating the US Wire Act and money laundering. Scott also had to forfeit $6,786,934.65 from various US bank accounts.
Scott, once among the biggest shareholders in online gambling software company Cryptologic, surrendered to US authorities back in September. He had been indicted twice back in 1998 for violating US gambling laws. For nearly 15 years, Scott remained on the lam, living primarily in the Caribbean island nation of St. Marten.
20 other individuals were indicted in connection with a massive probe into offshore gambling back in 1998. At least one individual ended up serving a one night sentence after returning to the US. Many others received light probation sentences.
Scott’s World Wide Tele Sports or WWTS was once among the largest offshore sports betting companies founded in 1993 on the island of Antigua. It eventually merged with publicly traded Australian wagering firm BetCorp before an eventual purchase by Bodog.
- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com
