A Santa Monica man who ran an illegal online sports betting business was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison this week for operating an unlawful gambling enterprise, tax evasion and money laundering.
Christopher Scott King, 51, was sentenced Tuesday and also received three years of supervised release. U.S. District Court officials ordered King to pay $10 million in forfeiture and $3.8 million in tax restitution as part of his sentence.
King had pleaded guilty in April to the charges, admitting he operated a Costa Rica-based online sportsbook that accepted wagers from California bettors in violation of state and federal law.
According to court documents, King concealed $13.6 million in income from the Internal Revenue Service between 2019 and 2022. On his 2022 tax return, King reported approximately $143,000 in taxable income while actually earning more than $5 million that year.
Prosecutors said King laundered his gambling proceeds through real estate development projects and gold purchases. He also used money from his illegal gambling business to fund brokerage and financial accounts.
King's attorneys noted their client is a recovering gambling addict who took full responsibility for his crimes. Federal prosecutors reported King had already paid the agreed-upon restitution and forfeiture by late 2025. He is scheduled to report to prison in early January 2026.
The case is part of a broader federal crackdown on illegal sports betting operations in California and across the country.
In August 2024, Matthew R. Bowyer, 49, of Orange County pleaded guilty to running a five-year illegal sports betting ring that handled millions in wagers through Costa Rica websites and casino agents. One of Bowyer's prominent clients was Ippei Mizuhara, former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, who placed approximately 19,000 bets through Bowyer's operation.
Court filings showed Mizuhara won roughly $142 million and lost approximately $183 million, leaving him with a $40.6 million gambling debt. Bowyer admitted to underreporting his income, reporting $607,897 in 2022 despite actually earning about $4 million. He faces up to 10 years in prison on money laundering charges.
Professional poker player Damien LeForbes, 48, entered a federal plea deal in August 2024, admitting he ran an illegal sportsbook and money laundering scheme that took in millions in illegal wagers over nearly three years. LeForbes accepted bets in Los Angeles and Orange counties and through a Las Vegas casino. Court documents showed he gambled approximately $148 million at that casino from January 2022 to December 2023. He faces up to 15 years in prison.
In earlier proceedings, Wayne Nix of Costa Mesa pleaded guilty in April 2022 to conspiring to operate an illegal sports betting business and filing a false tax return. His case was among the foundational investigations into Costa Rica-based bookmaking operations.
Federal authorities also announced two major indictments in October linking professional sports figures to illegal gambling. In the Eastern District of New York, a 31-count indictment charged 31 defendants — including NBA coach Chauncey Billups and former player Damon Jones — with conspiring to rig high-stakes underground poker games using concealed wireless cheating devices.
Prosecutors said the cases signal an aggressive federal push to prosecute bookmaking rings and related financial crimes. In each prosecution, defendants are accused of using offshore websites or underground networks to circumvent legal gambling regulations while evading taxes and hiding profits.
King's case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation's International Tax and Financial Crimes group and Homeland Security Investigations. Trial attorneys from the Justice Department's Tax Division prosecuted the case.