Costa Rica sportsbook reaches US agreement

The non-prosecution agreement means the sportsbook will be able to seek licences in the regulated US market.

US.- The Costa Rica-based online sportsbook 5Dimes has reached a non-prosecution agreement with the US Department of Justice despite accepting illegal bets from US customers for more than two decades.

The agreement, which clears the name of 5Dimes owner Laura Varela, means the sportsbook can advance with plans to move into the regulated US sports betting market.

Varela took ownership of 5Dimes from her late husband William Sean “Tony” Creighton, who was kidnapped in Costa Rica in 2018 and found dead a year later.

The agreement states that Varela had no involvement in the illegal activities associated with 5Dimes.

5Dimes will, however, have to hand over $46m in assets including cash, cryptocurrency, sports memorabilia and sports cars as part of the agreement.

Federal prosecutor William McSwain said: “The settlement agreement announced today is a victory for the United States in ceasing the illegal activity of a company that was being investigated for a multitude of crimes, including a sophisticated money-laundering operation.”

5Dimes stopped taking illegal bets from US customers on September 21 after notifying customers through email that it was “embarking on a new business adventure.”