Arrests at Borgata in Atlantic City Over Illegal Sportsbook

More news in the world of illegal sports betting. On Wednesday, cops arrested 18 people, including 4 with mob ties, who were running such a ring out of a high-stakes poker room in Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa. Since March of 2006, it is estimated that the ring took in $22 million in bets for football and basketball. And unlike Las Vegas, Atlantic City doesn’t have a legal sportsbook.

ILLEGAL GAMBLING ARRESTS

The suspected ringleader of the operation was a man known as Andrew Micali. He’s a known associate of Philadelphia mob boss Joseph “Skinny Joe” Merlino. Others arrested on charges of loan-sharking, money laundering and promoting gambling included Vincent Procopio, Anthony Nicodemo and Michael Lancellotti. In all, 23 people were charged.

The group enlisted the aid of casino employees to conceal their crimes and were only caught when an informant told authorities what to look for on the casino’s surveillance cameras.

SPORTSBOOK WITHIN A CASINO

Publicized mainly by word of mouth, gamblers were told who to see in the poker room in order to place their bets. Casino employees who were involved would refrain from recording certain exchanges of cash and chips. In money laundering terms, this is known as “chip washing.”

Losers were also being forced to take out loans from the crooks in order to cover their losses. The interest on these loans was believed to be 50 percent.

SEARCH AND SEIZURE

Authorities seized more than $40,000 in cash and chips from a safe deposit box belonging to Micali at the casino. His bank account was also frozen with more than $200,000 in it. That money should help out greatly on Bush‘s ranch in Crawford. Hell, it might even be enough to help buy Dick Cheney a human heart.

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Arrests at Borgata in Atlantic City Over Illegal Sportsbook