12 arrested in gambling scam

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- Federal authorities arrested at least a dozen men accused of participating in a betting ring that scammed millions of dollars from gamblers across the country.
The men arrested Thursday face federal charges of conspiracy to transmit wagering information by interstate and foreign wire and conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling enterprise.
If convicted, they face up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Authorities said the men ran the scam under three different businesses in the Fort Myers area: Player's Edge Inc., National Sports Consultants Inc. and Nationwide Sports Inc.
The businesses provided betting advice for gamblers and referred them to offshore betting parlors, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. In turn, the businesses received kickbacks from the parlors.
California attorney Ron Blumberg, who is gathering information for a possible civil suit, said many of the victims he has spoken with claim they were offered "insider" or "special" information on sports games.
Blumberg said promises were made guaranteeing results, but patrons lost money both paying for the advice and on the bets themselves. Eighteen people have come forward claiming losses ranging from a few hundred dollars to "in excess of six figures," he said.