Chavdar Vasilev is a journalist covering the casino and sports betting market sectors for CasinoBeats. He joined CasinoBeats in May 2025 and reports on industry-shaping stories across the US and beyond, including legislative debates, market...
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A Santa Monica man who admitted to running an offshore sports betting business and hiding more than US $13.5 million from the IRS has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison.
The case marks the latest federal enforcement action targeting unlicensed gambling networks across the US.
Guilty Plea in April, Sentence Handed Down in October
According to the US Department of Justice, Christopher Scott King, 36, pleaded guilty in April to operating an illegal gambling business, tax evasion, and money laundering.
According to prosecutors, King operated the illegal enterprise through an offshore platform in Costa Rica. He accepted wagers from US customers and ran the operation from his home in Santa Monica.
Prosecutors stated, “Between 2019 and 2022, King hid more than $13.5 million of income from the IRS…On his 2022 return, King reported $143,258 in taxable income, but in reality, he earned more than $5 million that year.”
They added that King moved the earnings through real estate investments and gold to hide their source.
Earlier this week, King received a sentence of 21 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The court ordered that he forfeit $10 million and pay restitution for the IRS tax loss of $3.8 million.
Part of a Broader US Crackdown
King’s sentencing adds to a series of illegal gambling prosecutions that have emerged through 2025.
Most recently, the FBI arrested more than 30 people as part of a widening probe into underground poker and sports-betting operations allegedly involving NBA figures.
Among the arrested were Portland Trailblazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former player and coach Damon Jones.
Billups was allegedly part of an underground poker operation with ties to organized crime figures. Meanwhile, the FBI arrested Rozier in a separate sports-betting probe. The case is ongoing, with more sports figures being linked. That includes former NFL star Antonio Gates and Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue.
Another Southern California illegal bookie, Mathew Bowyer, tied to the Shohei Ohtani interpreter scandal, received a sentence of 12 months and one day in federal prison. The court also ordered him to pay $1.6 million in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
In July, Lucchese crime-family captain Anthony Villani received a 21-month sentence in federal prison for running an illegal gambling business. Villani also used Costa Rica servers, with the company generating about $35 million. He pocketed $15 million personally.
Elsewhere, earlier this month, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office indicted New Jersey Councilman Anand Shah on 18 charges related to participating in an illegal gambling ring. Prosecutors say the enterprise included associates of the Lucchese family.
Together, the cases point to a nationwide enforcement trend linking illegal gambling, tax evasion, and organized crime. That comes at a time when nearly 40 states have legalized sports betting and seven online casinos are operational.
