By AP/St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis – The founder of the online gambling site BetOnSports.com will spend more than four years in prison.
Gary Kaplan was sentenced Monday in St. Louis federal court, ending a lengthy case involving the complex world of offshore sports gambling. He pleaded guilty in August to federal racketeering and other charges.
In a plea agreement, Kaplan must forfeit nearly 44 million dollars. Kaplan founded the company in 1995, setting up entities in Aruba, Antigua and eventually Costa Rica.
The firm solicited American to place sports wagers by phone and over the Internet. It became one of the world's largest online gambling firms.
Kaplan has already been jailed for 31 months. The Bureau of Prisons will determine if he is given credit for time served.