United Nations says online gambling to blame for increase in match-fixing

New York bookie Joseph Ruff has been sentenced to 41 months in prison for his illegal sports betting activity.

The 32-year-old Ruff, who was arrested by federal authorities last June, pled guilty in December to charges of illegal gambling, money laundering conspiracy and extortion. The credit betting ring took wagers via password-protected websites while processing $76m in betting handle via FedEx, bank deposits or in person at the Marina Restaurant and Bar in Charlotte.

On Wednesday, Chief US District Judge Frank Geraci Jr. handed Ruff 41 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Ruff also agreed to forfeit over $1.3m of his ill-gotten gains. Tough, but better than Ruff’s brother Mark, who received a nine-year sentence earlier this year. Charges against the brothers’ accomplice Paul Borrell are pending.

Ruff’s case made headlines after word leaked that National Hockey League player Thomas Vanek was among Ruff’s clients. Vanek wasn’t a particularly good sports bettor, at one point endorsing a $230k New York Islanders paycheck to partially cover his gambling debts. There’s no evidence that Vanek ever bet on NHL games with Ruff, so we’re sure this next item is completely coincidental.