Gary Kaplan used to throw lavish parties in Costa Rica and plaster the name of his thriving online gambling company on New York City buses. Now, the 48-year-old founder of BetonSports PLC and the multibillion-dollar industry he helped spawn are in reduced circumstances -- the man on the run, the industry in disarray. Mr. Kaplan is a fugitive from a racketeering conspiracy and fraud indictment filed last year in a St. Louis federal court charging him with heading a criminal enterprise that illegally took in over USD 3.5 billion in wagers since 2001.

Neteller co-founder John Lefebvre pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge related to the processing of millions of dollars in gambling transactions, according to Reuters. The guilty plea is similar to one filed by fellow Neteller co-founder Stephen Lawrence earlier this month. Both Lefebvre and Lawrence admitted to wrongdoing in their pleas.

New York (Reuters) - A founder of payment processor NETeller Plc pleaded guilty on Friday to a conspiracy charge over the handling of billions of dollars in illegal gambling proceeds. Stephen Lawrence, 47, during a hearing before U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel in Manhattan, also agreed to cooperate with the government. Lawrence faces a maximum sentence of five years on the conspiracy charge for his role in the operation of the payment processor.