加拿大全面打击非法体育博彩网站(2)

　　译文：

　　CANADA CLAMPS DOWN ON ILLEGAL SPORTS BETTING SITE

　　This weekend Canadian authorities took down a Costa Rica-based online sports betting operation functioning on the PlatinumSB.com domain name. Multiple individuals were also arrested during the bust.

　　After a two year investigation Canadian authorities seized the domain name of sports betting operator PlatinumSB.com. During the bust, multiple individuals connected to the business including Hells Angels' member William Miller were arrested.

　　Authorities claim that the individuals involved in the sports betting operation were violating the country's laws in regards to gambling and sports betting. Along the seized domain name and the arrests, authorities also confiscated around $2.5 million in cash as was as several computers.

　　Canadian police explained that the website in question wasn't a traditional online sports betting operation （of which status falls in a gray area in the country） since it also conducted activities offline, which is at this moment illegal in the country.

　　According to authorities, players registered at the site were able to purchase virtual credits that they could use in order to place bets on various sports events. The fee for these credits was then collected in person in Canada by operatives of PlatinumSB.com. Through these means, PlatinumSB.com was supposedly generating around $1 million in profits every month.

　　So in order words, PlatinumSB.com was not shut down because it offered online betting and gaming services over the internet. It was shut down because it was carrying out its monetary transactions offline, which is at this moment illegal in the country.

　　What happens now to normal sports betting sites in Canada?At this moment online gambling and online sports betting are not regulated in Canada. However, no law forbids offshore online gaming sites to accept Canadian players. This means that companies currently active in Canada such as William Hill, bet365 and others will not be affected by this event.

　　PlatinumSB.com was only shut down because it conducted its operations offline on the territory of Canada, something that's illegal according to local laws. The fact that the company ran a website as well has most likely nothing to do with the bust.

　　So unless the Canadian government and legislative rules otherwise, international online gaming companies as well as Canadian players are pretty much safe. The key is not to play at operators that are established in Canada or conduct their activities offline, since these practices are at this moment illegal.