In Nevada, the only US jurisdiction in which single-game sports betting is currently legal, the bookmaker formerly known as Leroy’s Horse and Sports Place has agreed to pay a $25,815 fine for accepting unauthorized wagers on this year’s Kentucky Derby. Leroy’s, now under UK bookie William Hill’s control, admitted to the Nevada Gaming Control Board that four of its outlets took Derby wagers, despite only being licensed to take sports bets. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the $815 portion of the fine represented the company’s profit on those wagers. The GCB decision still needs to be approved by the Nevada Gaming Commission at its next meeting on Dec. 20.
In Florida, where sports betting is definitely not legal, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating a ring of Miami-Dade Police Department officers who were allegedly providing protection for a bookmaking operation in Liberty City. CBS Miami reported that the two-year-old investigation began when a tip led officers to place a reported bookie shop under surveillance, which revealed a parade of police officers taking turns guarding the establishment. In early 2011, the Miami cops turned the investigation over to the FBI, which soon discovered a second location at which officers were providing protection from street gangs and acting as bodyguards when money needed to be moved. Hey, protect and serve, right?