- Casino
- By State
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Georgia
- Florida
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- By State
- Slots
- Poker
- Sports
- Esports
Former Pro Baller Admits Guilt in Illegal Bookmaking Ring
A former minor league baseball player is now in hot water with the law after evidence has surfaced that he has been involved with an illegal sports gambling ring. Wayne Nix, who played for the Oakland Athletics, was able to establish connections with prominent former players from the Major League Baseball (MLB) and a former National Football League player with whom he ran the operation.
Recruiting Others and Running the Business
According to prosecutors who reported on the case on Thursday, Nix accepted wagers from players who were still active in baseball in violation of established laws. The MLB was caught by surprise in the matter and said it had begun an investigation of its own following the announcement.
Essentially, the league did not know that other individuals apart from Nix had been involved in the bookmaking operation. However, official documentation into Nix did not reveal much. Court records mostly focused on the amounts wagered, won, and lost, rather than the names of the other participants.
The Associated Press looked into the documents and found out that a pro football player paid Nix a total of $245,000 in losses for 2016, and another coach had to pay Nix another $4,000. It wasn’t immediately clear what they had bet on – whether it concerned other games in the MLB, an attempt to fix games, or their own performance.
As in every Major League in the United States, betting on the sport you participate in or using insider information to feed other betting advice is strictly prohibited and could lead to suspensions. Last year, the San Antonio Sharks hockey player Evander Kane was investigated for placing bets on his own games.
The actual size of the gambling ring was much bigger though. Records showed that a Los Angeles check-cashing business admitted to having processed $18 million in checks from two bettors. Another client wagered $5 million on the Super Bowl, but the court did not have information on whether the wager had succeeded.
In light of these charges, Nix agreed to plead guilty, and he now waits to be sentenced. One of the possible penalties includes up to eight years in prison. He has also agreed to pay $1.25 million in tax and has had $1.3 million seized by investigators.
Operation Going on For Decades
It’s understandable why Nix may have thought that he doesn’t have much to worry about. He had been running his business for at least 20 years, prosecutors argue. He started dealing with bookmaking in the wake of his career in the minor league and has been running it from multiple states.
The customers and contacts he built over the years were happy to participate, and many of them included former professional athletes. Eventually, he began using a business in Costa Rica, Sand Island Sports, to automate some of the processes, including tracking betting limits and owed payouts.
Bets would be placed through phone calls and Nix paid out winners while keeping the bulk of any losses realized by the customers. The court named Edon Kagasoff, another former pro, as Nix’s business partner who also helped run the business, including setting up limits for customers, cutting off those who couldn’t cover their debts, and more.
Luke is a media graduate who is looking to build upon his experiences from his strong love of sports betting and casino games which started during his first year of college. His fresh mindset always brings new content ideas to the team and his editorial skills will continue to grow with the help of the upper management team at Gambling News.
Must Read
More Articles
Industry
February 18, 2025
North Carolina: 58% of Residents Favor Casinos on Non-Native Lands
Industry
February 18, 2025
Indiana’s iGaming Efforts Stall as HB 1432 Fails to Make Progress
Industry
February 18, 2025
PA Gambler Fails to Collect $57K Jackpot Due to Self-Exclusion
Legal
February 18, 2025
Former Texas Lottery Boss Accused of Rigging $95M Jackpot
Industry
February 18, 2025
Betting Expansion Fuels Rise in Gambling Addiction Searches
Lottery
February 17, 2025
Washington’s Lottery Achieves Top Responsible Gambling Certification
Industry
February 17, 2025
Coinbase CEO: Prediction Markets Are a Better Source of Truth
Industry
February 17, 2025
Las Vegas Drunk Driver Sentenced After Deadly Car Accident
Industry
February 17, 2025
New Jersey iGaming Expanded, Sports Betting Slowed Down in January
Industry
February 17, 2025
Detroit: City Offers Aid After Child Freezing Tragedy at Casino
Industry
February 17, 2025
Nevada’s Rep. Horsford Pushes TIPS Act for Fair Wages
Industry
February 17, 2025
Breaking Down the 2025 NY Casino License Race and Bidders