Taking one for the team, it's a phrase that shows the loyalty of an individual. It infers that they are willing to put themselves into harms way so that their team could win or succeed. It shows honor, dignity, strength, and devotion to the cause. David Carruthers is going to take one for the team. However, rather than be appreciative of his efforts and dedication, his team just unceremoniously fired him. Perhaps taking one for the team actually means blatant stupidity and a huge waste of time?

David Carruthers was the Chief Executive Officer of BetonSports.com, an online sports betting site which accepts bets from punters worldwide via internet and phone. Carruthers had helped make the company successful. He moved with his family to Costa Rica to run the company from its headquarters in 2000 and helped them go public in 2004. This is a man who has given up his country for his company, and now he may be giving up his freedom.

Carruthers was traveling from Britain to Costa Rica with a stop-over in the United States when he was arrested by the Justice Department. He, along with 11 other individuals, had been named in a Federal indictment for racketeering, tax evasion, fraud, money laundering and illegal sports betting by telephone. Telephone betting is definitely a no-no. The 1961 Wire Act clearly states that interstate (or off-shore) telephone bets are illegal. Internet betting isn't so clear, as the internet didn't exist in 1961 when the Act was written. As BetonSports allows for US players to place bets via phone they were in clear violation of federal law.

Traveling through the US, even on a stop-over for a flight, was a stupid thing for Carruthers to do. It doesn't, however, justify his firing.

The BetonSports.com website isn't giving much information. Instead of their normal website all they have is an announcement stating, "In light of court papers filed in the United States, the company has temporarily suspended this facility pending its ability to assess its full position. During this period no financial or wagering transactions can be executed. Further information will be posted once the company is in a position to do so."

Betonsports fired Carruthers. "This action was taken as a consequence of Mr. Carruthers continued detention by U.S. authorities," the company said in a statement.

"Clearly, while he remains in the custody of the U.S. government, he is unable to perform his duties. Further the company has been unable to speak directly with Mr. Carruthers," it added.

I have to wonder if Carruthers was set up by Betonsports founder Gary Stephen Kaplan. Carruthers was returning from the company's annual meeting in London when he was detained in Dallas. He may have booked his tickets back to Costa Rica himself, but in a company that large it's typical that someone else would have handled his travel arrangements for him. He lands in the US, gets arrested, and now fired? Perhaps someone wants Carruthers out of the way. That would be a silly way to do it though as the company is now essentially out of business. Ok, so the idea of a conspiracy against Carruthers is probably just my imagination getting the better of me, or maybe not.

Rumors have stated that the company was looking for ways to get Carruthers out of the company. The gossip going around has said that Kaplan had been trying to get rid of Carruthers for months now but was not able to find a way to succeed. A few months ago someone from the company had stated that the company was looking to find someone else for the job. "There are people in the company looking to take his position. Carruthers days will be numbered soon."

Even if some people didn't like the guy, getting him arrested and them firing him seems a pretty cold way to get him out of the company. Industry experts have been wondering if the opening of the charges against Carruthers right before the vote for the anti-internet gambling bills was a coincidence. I wonder if maybe someone at Betonsports knew about the charges and set him up to travel through the US at this time. Perhaps they were even working in conjunction with the US Department of Justice to set up Carruthers.

Tim Evans is David Carruthers attorney. He admits to not having any experience in internet gambling. "I have never been involved in any online gambling case before. This is the first one." I hope this guy know what he's doing. If Carruthers is convicted of all charges, he could be spending up to twenty years in prison.

If someone wanted to get rid of him in order to take his position then they didn't think the whole thing through. Betonsports has been de-listed from the London Stock Exchange and the company surely couldn't have much time left. It could be that someone wanted to get to the heart of the company, someone who was never appreciated or was taken advantage of. Never underestimate the power of a secretary or administrative assistant. There are just too many coincidences here for everything to be a coincidence.

Carruthers was one of the loudest internet gambling advocates and had published opinion editorials in the LATimes.com, TheWashingtonPost.com, and others. He spoke to congressmen about the current anti-internet legislation before he was indicted. His pieces were well thought out and logical. He had faith that US citizens would recognize the logic of regulating the industry rather than banning it. Apparently he also had faith in his company, and look where that got him.

My last speculation is that the company fired him in such an ugly manor in order to gain him sympathy with the court. As he's been fired from his job and arrested in the US he will be highly unlikely to work in internet gambling again. Perhaps this will lower his time in the big house. That would be the only reason which would leave me with any respect for the people who work in and own Betonsports.com. To fire someone when they are down because of a job they did for you is disgusting.

Kaplan is doing his best to distance himself from the whole thing. He's stated to the media that he's just a figurehead and an adviser these days. I don't know what Kaplan's real position is with the company. What I do know is that he will not be traveling to the US any time soon.

Posted on: July 27, 2006

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