As reported by: InsideCostaRica.com
U.S. officials have indicted 12 men for their involvement in an online gambling site based in Costa Rica. Arrests were made in New York, Maryland and Massachusetts, however, the ringleader, Carmine Cicalese, is still at large and may be in Costa Rica.

Online gambling is illegal in the United States since 2006 when credit card companies were banned from processing online gaming payments.

Jorge Rojas, director of the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ), assures that his police agency is investigating fully the various companies related to money laundering and fraud, using online gaming as front, operating in Costa Rica.

Rojas explained that customers in the U.S. were fooled into believing that their were placing their bets in the United States, when actually the information was taken in Costa Rica, on football games and other competitive sports.

Online gaming sites based in Costa Rica is nothing new. One of the largest online gaming operations closed its doors after actions U.S. officials. Bet On Sports was located in Mall San Pedro and left some 1.400 people without work when the operation closed its doors after its CEO was detained by US authorities.

According to U.S. authorities, Cicalese is alleged to have operated a number of websites, including betwestspots.com and a toll-free call centre knowns a Cicalese Wireroom.

Article By: InsideCostaRica.com