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Man sentenced to prison for running illegal sports betting ring

A police officer guards the entrance to the Lucky Lady Casino and Card Room while authorities search the business in July 2016.
(John Gibbins/San Diego Union-Tribune)
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A man who ran an international bookmaking operation out of the Lucky Lady Casino and Card Room in San Diego was sentenced Monday to about three years in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Sanders Segal, 66, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy in San Diego federal court on Aug. 29.

In addition to serving a 37-month prison sentence, Segal was ordered to pay about $222,000 in criminal forfeiture for the proceeds he made from bookmaking, money laundering and collecting illegal bets, prosecutors said.

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In his plea agreement, Segal admitted he oversaw Segal’s Lucky Lady Sports Book from 2013 to 2016, directing associates to place illegal sports bets on overseas gambling sites on behalf of customers in the U.S. The sites were in places such as Costa Rica, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong.

The bookmaking operation, which used the licensed casino on El Cajon Boulevard as a front, generated nearly $1 million in profits, authorities said. Segal admitted he received 10 percent of the profits in the enterprise.

His son, Sydney Segal, an employee who managed the cage at the casino, also pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy in August. He admitted to co-mingling the illegal wagers with the card room’s legal profits and acting as the operation’s bookkeeper.

On Dec. 4, Sydney Segal was placed on five years of probation and ordered to pay $8,000 in fines and $10,000 in criminal forfeiture, and complete 240 hours of community service.

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Email: david.hernandez@sduniontribune.com

Phone: (619) 293-1876

Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez

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