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Federal authorities continue tightening their grip on California’s illegal sports betting network, as another high-profile bookmaker has been sentenced in Los Angeles. Christopher Scott King received a 21-month prison term after pleading guilty to multiple charges linked to his multimillion-dollar betting operation.
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King operated one of California’s largest underground bookmaking businesses for years, generating over $13 million in unreported income between 2018 and 2022. He pleaded guilty in April to operating an illegal gambling business, tax evasion, and money laundering.
Prosecutors said King reported only $1.68 million in taxable income over those years, while concealing millions from gambling proceeds and other sources. As part of his plea deal, he forfeited $10 million and paid $3.8 million in restitution to cover tax losses.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California confirmed that both payments have been completed.
King’s sentence nearly doubles the 10-month term given to bookmaker Matt Bowyer in August. Bowyer made national news for accepting more than $325 million in wagers from Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani.
While Bowyer’s operation was high-profile, King’s case stayed mostly under the radar despite his similar role in the California illegal betting scene. Both men were considered key figures in one of the nation’s largest underground gambling markets.
Bowyer admitted to sharing clients with King and revealed that both funneled wagers through offshore websites in Costa Rica.
Court documents detailed how King used gambling profits to acquire and flip luxury real estate across Southern California. He owned a $15 million home in Pacific Palisades, an $8 million property in Santa Monica, and a $3.8 million house in Palm Desert.
Prosecutors alleged that King laundered money by pouring illegal funds into home improvements and later selling the properties. In one cited example, he paid a contractor $50,000 two days after depositing $84,500 from a bettor.
Investigators also found that King accepted cryptocurrency payments from clients as part of his operation.
King’s attorneys described him as a recovering gambling addict facing a difficult personal period. They said he nearly lost his home during the Palisades wildfire and had taken “full responsibility” for his crimes while cooperating with authorities.
He received partial credit for assisting investigators by providing information on another associate. Bowyer’s own cooperation previously earned him a reduced sentence, which Judge John Holcomb called “extraordinary.”
The sentencing came less than a week after prosecutors in Brooklyn announced indictments in a large poker and sports betting case involving 34 defendants, including NBA figures Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier.
King’s conviction, along with Bowyer’s, removes two of the most active operators from California’s illegal sports betting market. Two other bookmakers in the same investigation—poker player Damien Leforbes and Wayne Nix—are still awaiting sentencing.
U.S. District Court Judge Stanley Blumenthal Jr. also ordered King to serve three years of supervised release but imposed no additional fines beyond his forfeiture. King is scheduled to surrender by January 6.
A Southern California bookmaker convicted of illegal gambling, tax evasion, and money laundering from a multimillion-dollar operation.
King was sentenced to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
He agreed to forfeit $10 million and paid $3.8 million in restitution for unpaid taxes.
Bowyer said he shared some betting clients with King, and both routed wagers through offshore sites in Costa Rica.
Prosecutors listed several high-value properties, including homes in Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, and Palm Desert.