Illegal Gambling Operation Busted In Pennsylvania Bar

Gambling News - February 22nd, 2010 - Written By Glen

Pennsylvania has been expanding gambling at an exponential rate. Table games have been brought to casinos, giving players more than slot games when visiting the state's gaming centers. This was not enough for an owner of a sports bar in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, however.

Patte's Sports Bar of Wilkes-Barre, PA has recently been subject to a federal probe. Justice Department officials had filed charges against Pat Patte Jr. following the collection of evidence that found an illegal sports betting operation within the bar. Though an indictment had been thrown against Patte, this would not be the end of the trouble that would befall the proprietor of the sports bar and betting scheme.

According to The Citizen's Voice, federal authorities are aiming to place a forfeiture motion against Patte's Sports Bar for being the home of the illegal sports gambling operation. The probe of the location found that the sports bar had been used to not only collect wagers, but also pay out winnings. The US Attorney's Office insists that the "property be forfeited and condemned to the United States of America."

Sports betting within the United States, beyond USA online sportsbooks, remains heavily illegal under the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, which made it illegal for sports gambling to exist outside of four states, which included Delaware, Nevada, Montana, and Oregon.

Despite the initial motions to act on these crimes, Patte Jr. and his sports bar are continuing life as normal as possible. Patte Jr. received permission from a judge to go on a trip to the Bahamas, and his sports bar had continued to operate through the weekend. With illegal gambling operations regularly being shot down and indictments handed out to those who would work them, Online Gambling seems to be picking up in popularity.