Poker Pro Admits to Scandalous Illegal Bookmaking Scheme
Damien LeForbes, a poker professional from Long Beach, California, has confessed to charges related to money laundering and operating an illegal bookmaker.
Damien LeForbes, a Californian poker pro, pleads guilty to running an illegal bookmaker.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:LeForbes has signed an agreement to plead guilty to operating an illegal bookie and money laundering in both Las Vegas and California. According to available information, LeForbes is accused of running an unauthorized sportsbook from January 2021 until December 2023. His operations extended beyond Clark County, Nevada, as he allegedly accepted bets in Orange County and Los Angeles County, California.
LeForbes’s illegal gambling network appears to have been highly sophisticated, with him hiring agents to recruit new gamblers. These agents were then paid with a percentage of the losses incurred by the clients they brought in.
Casinos Hosts Thought to Be Involved
There are suspicions that LeForbes worked with casino hosts who took on roles as agents. Payments related to the scheme were funnelled through a shell company called DJL, with transactions carried out using cash, cryptocurrency, and various online casino payment methods such as PayPal. On LinkedIn, LeForbes lists himself as the president of DJL.
In addition to using cryptocurrencies and payment services, a land casino also played a major part in LeForbes’s operation. A Las Vegas-based casino, referred to only as Casino A in court documents, appears to have been central to the operation.
A vast amount of money was wagered through Casino A, with court documents revealing that LeForbes is suspected of placing over $148 million in bets through the casino.
Between October 2021 and December 2023, LeForbes reportedly cashed at least 17 personal checks at Casino A, totalling more than $9 million. One of these checks, dated April 2023, was for the amount of $1 million.
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Resorts World Comes under Scrutiny
Resorts World Las Vegas might be the casino mentioned in the court documents as LeForbes’s is known to be a frequent player there.
While LeForbes is facing his own legal battles, Resorts World is also under scrutiny. The Nevada Gaming Control Board has recently criticized the casino for allowing individuals suspected of illegal gambling activities to play on its premises. Among those individuals was Matthew Bowyer, another illegal bookmaker who accepted bets from Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.
As a result of his guilty plea, LeForbes may be facing a severe punishment. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000.
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