First victim in US clampdown

The online US sportsbook BetED is the first victim of recent seizures and indictments brought forward against online gambling operators accepting real money play from US gamblers by the Maryland State Attorney.

It all started to go wrong for BetED when they were caught as part of a lengthy sting operation by authorities to uncover which third party payment processing firms are in cahoots with online operators in violation of US federal laws.

The news coming from sources in Costa Rica where BetED has a San Jose office is that the office was shut down yesterday following the seizure by US authorities of the company's bank accounts that left it incapable to pay customers and proceed with the proper operation of its business.

As soon as BetED went offline emails started flowing from punters claiming they have lost access to their player accounts and are unable to release their outstanding balance. BetED was a small sportsbook with an excellent track record of paying customers.

It is remains unknown if BetED will reach an agreement with the Department of Justice that will facilitate the release of players' funds. However based on how the Department of Justice conducted itself with previously indicted online operators, it is very likely that an agreement for the release of players' funds will be attempted.