Another prominent California bookie sentenced as crackdown continues
Summary
Christopher Scott King, a Southern California bookmaker, was sentenced in a Los Angeles federal court to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty to operating an illegal gambling business, tax evasion and money laundering. Prosecutors say King generated more than $13m in unreported income through 2022. As part of his plea, he forfeited $10m and has paid $3.8m in restitution to cover the tax loss he caused. King received credit for cooperating with investigators and was also given three years of supervised release. The case sits within a broader federal crackdown on illegal sports betting in California that has recently ensnared other high-profile figures.
King allegedly laundered proceeds through property deals and gold purchases, and sometimes accepted cryptocurrency from bettors. He owned several multimillion-pound properties, including a reported $15m home in Pacific Palisades. His sentencing follows the recent incarceration of Matt Bowyer — a bookmaker linked to Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter — and comes amid a wider enforcement push that includes a separate Brooklyn indictment naming numerous defendants connected to poker and sports betting.
Key Points
- King was sentenced to 21 months in prison for illegal gambling, tax evasion and money laundering.
- He agreed to a $10m forfeiture and paid $3.8m restitution for the tax loss caused.
- Prosecutors say King generated over $13m in unreported income from his bookmaking operations through 2022.
- Alleged laundering methods included channeling funds through real estate projects, gold purchases and occasional cryptocurrency payments.
- King cooperated with authorities and received credit at sentencing; he was also given three years of supervised release.
- The case is part of a wider federal crackdown on California’s illegal sports betting market, which has recently taken down other large players.
- Both King and other recent convictions remove significant operators from one of the nation’s largest illegal betting markets.
Why should I read this?
Short version: if you follow the US sports-betting market, this matters. Federal enforcement is hitting big operators in California — and that reshapes risk, market dynamics and compliance burdens for operators, affiliates and payment providers. We’ve boiled down the essentials so you don’t have to wade through court filings. If you work in gaming, payments or legal/compliance, this is worth a minute of your time.
Source
Source: https://igamingbusiness.com/sports-betting/california-bookie-chris-king-sentenced/