Sportsbook News

Schill Will: There May Still be Hope For WSEX.com Players Owed Money

When World Sports Exchange founder Steve Schillinger killed himself a few weeks ago, he left behind an online sportsbook still owing players well over a million dollars.

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For those of you stiffed out of monies when WSEX.com shut down, there may still be hope of recovering some funds.

Submitted by C Costigan on, May/30/2013

Top Gambling Stories – May 29, 2013: Noon EDT Wire

These are the top gambling news stories as they happen at Gambling911.com.  Follow us on Twitter here.

Bitcoin Fears Loom in Wake of Liberty Reserve Indictment

Submitted by C Costigan on, May/29/2013

Costa Rican Online Bookies Find Love, Sex at Newly Opened Jaco Beach Del Rey

An infamous meat market bar/hotel of San Jose, Costa Rica has now opened a second location on the beach in Jaco.

The Hotel Del Rey, a staple for American bookmakers and their colleagues from the early days of Costa Rica’s burgeoning online sports betting industry, announced the opening of its second location this week.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, May/29/2013

Cantor Gaming Suit Accuses William Hill of Poaching Precious Trade Secrets

As reported by the Las Vegas Review Journal this week, Cantor Gaming is none too happy about rival William Hill entering its cherished US sports betting territory. 

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Submitted by Alejandro Botticelli on, May/29/2013

Gambling Ads Crackdown in Australia: Football Shirts to be Pulled

Australia will no longer be permitting gambling ads to run on television during live sporting events nor will bookmakers like Centrebet and bwin be permitted to have their logos on signage at venues or stadium naming rights.

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Submitted by Alistair Prescott on, May/28/2013

Bookie Testifies: ‘Ridiculous’ When Asked If He Killed His Wife

South Carolina bookie Brett Parker, on trial for allegedly killing his wife, testified for nearly three hours Friday.

“No,” Brett Parker when grilled about killing his wife, Tammy Jo Parker. “That’s crazy.”

“That’s ridiculous,” he would respond when asked again.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, May/25/2013

Bitcoin Economy Now Worth $1 Billion

The Bitcoin economy is now worth a whopping $1 billion and, despite a few near death experiences, continues to grow.  

This past weekend, some 1000 people attended the Bitcoin 2013 event in San Jose, California. 

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, May/23/2013

Ladbrokes Cutting Up to 100 Jobs

(Reuters) - Ladbrokes said as many as 100 employees at its headquarters in Harrow could lose their jobs as Britain's second-largest bookmaker transfers a number of roles to its operation in Israel, set up as part of its agreement with gaming software developer Playtech.

In March, Playtech and Ladbrokes, which has struggled to keep up with the online offering of UK market leader William Hill, finalised an agreement for the former to advise and assist the bookmaker with its digital services for an initial period of five years. 

Submitted by Reuters on, May/22/2013

’60 Minutes’ to Offer Update on WSEX Story, Discuss Schillinger Suicide

Gambling911.com’s Thomas Somach has confirmed that the CBS news magazine “60 Minutes” will be airing an update on a story about online gambling that featured co-founders of the now defunct sports betting site World Sports Exchange

Somach tells Gambling911.com "60 Minutes" will simply be mentioning the suicide, likely at the end of an upcoming program.  The exact date is not known.  The original story about WSEX.com and Schillinger from 12 years ago is not likely to be re-aired.

Submitted by C Costigan on, May/22/2013

Cantor Gaming Using Algorithms in Creating Sports Betting Lines

Great article appearing on Wired.com on how Cantor Gaming has begun to use algorithms in determining game lines for its sports betting operations.

Cantor Gaming runs a number of sportsbooks in Las Vegas, including at the M Resort.

Submitted by C Costigan on, May/20/2013

Skrill Unauthorized Logins Have Online Gamblers Worried

A spate of reported unauthorized Skrill logins have the online gambling community on edge.

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Skrill, formerly known as Moneybookers, is a popular money transfer platform for those gamblers living outside the United States.  It is similar to PayPal. 

Submitted by Ace King on, May/20/2013

Ware is he Now: Former WSEX.com Owner Lives in German Brewery

A co-founder of now defunct World Sports Exchange (WSEX.com), Hayden Ware, is living quite the intoxicating life, Gambling911.com can report.

Hidin' Ware?

Ware and his German-born wife now reside in a converted German brewery. 

The Wares paid around 655,000 euros (about $890,000) for the 3,230-square-foot space located in Berlin.

Whether any of that money belongs to players of WSEX.com is unknown as Ware’s involvement in the shuttered online gambling company during its later years remains somewhat of a mystery.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, May/16/2013

Blue Monday’ Online Gambling Beneficiaries Jailed, Forced to Resign

It’s been nearly two years since close to a dozen online gambling domain names were seized as part of a payment processing sting operation. 

Submitted by Alejandro Botticelli on, May/13/2013

Undercover FBI Agents Placed Bets on Legends.com, Won and Lost Thousands

FBI agents from the Oklahoma City office placed bets with Panama City-based Legends.com (known also as Legends.com and Legendz.com) as part of a nearly 10-year investigation leading to the indictment of nearly three dozen individuals.

Submitted by C Costigan on, May/07/2013

San Francisco Examiner: WSEX Founder Killed Himself With Illegal Gun

Tom Somach reports in the San Francisco Examiner Sunday that Steve Schillinger of Word Sports Exchange, who killed himself last month, had an illegal gun and Antigua police are investigating how he got it, where and from whom he got it.....Read the Sunday edition story on Schillinger by clicking here.

Submitted by C Costigan on, May/05/2013

San Francisco Examiner to Cover Steve Schillinger Suicide

Gambling911.com can confirm that the San Francisco Examiner,, one of America’s most prominent newspapers, will be running a feature story on the death of World Sports Exchange founder Steve Schillinger.  That story was expected to be published on Sunday (May 5, 2013). 

Submitted by C Costigan on, May/04/2013

WSEX Founder Left Suicide Note: Hated Having to Stiff Customers

World Sports Exchange founder Steve Shillinger reportedly left a suicide note behind prior to taking a gun to his head last week.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Apr/30/2013

Equity Group Sports Betting Bill Clears Nevada Senate

A bill allowing private equity groups to place large wagers at Nevada sportsbooks has passed with a near unanimous vote on Tuesday.  Senate Bill 346 will now head to the Assembly for a vote. 

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Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Apr/24/2013

Schillinger had Questionable Past: Was Fugitive Right Up to ‘Suicide’

World Sports Exchange founder Steve Schillinger came under fire early on in his offshore gambling days.  This past weekend, one of online gambling’s pioneers was found dead in his Antigua condo, shot in the head, in a story first broken by Gambling911.com on Monday morning

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Apr/24/2013

Will BuddyBet be the Next Social Online Gambling Phenom

Social gambling website BuddyBet has secured $3 million in funding from private investors.

BuddyBet lets buddies play against one another as opposed to playing against the actual website or a bookmaker.  The site itself focuses exclusively on sports betting but will move into other sectors in the coming months.

VentureBeat.com explains the BuddyBet concept:

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Apr/23/2013

Foul Play Not Ruled Out in Shooting Death of WSEX.com Founder Steve Schillinger

Homicide detectives on the Caribbean island of Antigua have not ruled out homicide in the shooting death of World Sports Exchange (WSEX.com) founder Steve Schillinger. 

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The 60-year-old businessman was found dead in his Darkroom Beach condominium late Friday.  He had been shot in the head with a .380 pistol. 

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Apr/23/2013

Foxwoods Inks Deal With GameAccount

Foxwoods parent company, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, has inked a partnership deal with GameAccount Network as a means of pursuing legalized online gambling in the US.

Initially, the site will offer play-for-fun Web gambling. Other operators could ultimately join the Foxwoods network.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Apr/22/2013

Legends Sports Defendant Spiros Athanas Helped Police Solve Brutal Murder

A man indicted for his alleged role in a massive sports betting ring actually helped US authorities capture a vicious killer, Gambling911.com can reveal.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Apr/22/2013

WSEX Founder Shoots Self in Head: Commits Suicide

World Sports Exchange founder Steve Shillinger killed himself late Saturday, it was learned by Gambling911.com.

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The company he founded was forced to shut down this past week as it was insolvent.

Shillinger shot himself in the head.

It was not immediately clear if the other two founders of WSEX.com, Hayden Ware and Jay Cohen, still had access to player funds.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Apr/22/2013

The Legends Sports WagerWeb Bailout Explained

A number of Gambling911.com readers have inquired as to the nature of a 5-time rollover requirement in order to withdraw funds from their Legends Sports betting accounts, which are now in the process of being transferred over to WagerWeb.  Good news, WagerWeb has informed Gambling911 that the rollver requirement is now 5 times (not 10). 

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Apr/21/2013

Bet365 Family Coates Become Britain’s First Gambling Billionaires

Congratulations to Peter Coates, 75, his daughter Denise, 45, and son John, 43.  The Coates family are about to become Great Britain’s first billionaires of gambling.

The elder Coates started Bet365 while his daughter is widely credited for building the brand’s online presence.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Apr/20/2013

WagerWeb Takes Over Legends Sports Accounts: 5 X Rollover Required

Not exactly the most attractive deal in the world but WagerWeb.com is a good book and the situation could be far worse all things considered.  They have informed Gambling911.com that the rollover requirement for the Legends bailout is 5 x as opposed to the previously reported 10 x.  Good news for Legends customers indeed.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Apr/20/2013

Legends Sports to Shut Down: Will Transfer Accounts to Other Book

Exactly one week after indictments were handed down against 34 individuals tied to Panama-based Legends Sports, that long established sportsbook has made the decision to shut down.

Legends alerted customers via email that they were in talks with another top online sportsbook to have all accounts transferred.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Apr/17/2013

Spiros ‘The Greek’ Athanas Released on $1 Million Bond

One of online sports betting’s most legendary bookmakers, Spiros “The Greek” Athanas, has been released on $1 million bond according to court documents.

Athanas, one of 34 charged last Wednesday in connection to his alleged role in a multi-billion dollar sports betting ring, turned himself in two days later.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Apr/16/2013

Vegas Refunds Celtics-Pacers Season Win Total Bets

In light of Monday’s tragic terrorist bombings at the Boston Marathon, Las Vegas sportsbooks have decided to refund all Celtics/Pacers season win total bets, according to Randy J. Bell of Pregame.com.  It was not immediately clear if online sportsbooks would follow suit.

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Submitted by Tyrone Black on, Apr/16/2013

Breaking News

Instant Cash – Getting Quick Withdrawals from Online Casinos

Ever won big at an online casino only to wait days, or even weeks, to see that money? Nothing kills the thrill of hitting a jackpot faster than watching your withdrawal request sit in pending limbo. In current conditions, players want their winnings now.