Guilty plea for illegal sports pools

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This article was published 13/08/2015 (3890 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg man has pleaded guilty to running several popular, unlicenced National Football League pools that appealed to thousands of local sports fans.

Stephen Husk, 47, was charged following an investigation earlier this year. He appeared in court Wednesday, admitting to gaming without a licence and pocketing nearly $10,000 in “financing” fees for his efforts during the 2014/15 season.

Husk was given a $2,000 fine and placed on probation, which includes performing 20 hours of community-service work.

“He should have applied for a licence and gone through the proper channels,” defence lawyer Chad Schaan told court. “At the end of the day, it’s an expensive lesson learned.”

Crown attorney Sean Sass said Husk was running four different pools — a “confidence” pool, a “last man standing” pool, a “last man sitting” pool and a “playoff and Super Bowl” pool. Officials identified at least 8,000 different people who participated last season, paying entry fees of either $10 or $20.

Husk advertised the pools in six different Winnipeg sports bars and lounges, where he would leave entry fees with the bartenders. Participants would then contact him by email to arrange payment and make their selections.

Husk was upfront with all the players he was holding back a 10 per cent fee for himself. The rest was distributed among the winners. It’s believed the pools did approximately $100,000 in business last season, with $90,000 of it ending up in the pockets of players. Husk kept the rest.

“This isn’t some sort of an organized crime enterprise, it isn’t like a shady gambling den in the back of a social club,” Sass told court. “It’s organized, but still on a smaller scale, all things considered.”

His lawyer said the money Husk collected would probably have been an “appropriate” fee for all the time and effort he put into the pools — provided he had obtained the proper Liquor and Gaming Authority of Manitoba licensing. However, it’s unlikely officials would have approved Husk’s application given it was for personal use, not a charity.

“He invested a lot of time in setting up the website and tracking the stats, picking up the entries and notifying the winners,” said Schaan. “There was no suggestion he was perpetrating any kind of fraud. He is a significant sports enthusiast. This was an extension of his enthusiasm for sports.”

Provincial court Judge Wanda Garreck told Husk it’s important existing regulations be followed, even in the often unregulated world of sports betting.

“Without licensing and the ability to monitor, there is potential for people to use these fraudulently,” she said.

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