Online Player Sentenced for Illegal Gambling Activity

A North Dakota man pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor offense for online gambling.

Jeffrey Trauman, who began sports betting online five years ago, had been so successful that he quit his job as a car salesman. He even reported on his tax returns that his occupation was a professional gambler. He had no idea that what he was doing was illegal.

Wagering with off-shore sports books is not a violation of U.S. federal law. The state of North Dakota, however, does not permit any gambling at all that is not done in tribal casinos or for sanctioned charities. By North Dakota law, any bet over $25 is an infraction, and any bet over $500 is a misdemeanor.

The gaming division of the North Dakota attorney general's office launched an investigation when it learned of Trauman's activities. According to Trauman's lawyer, John Goff, "[Trauman] acknowledged what he was doing; he didn't hide anything from anybody; he reported his income on his tax returns; and he didn't really know it was illegal in North Dakota."

"As soon he found out this thing was illegal," Goff added, "he took steps to go somewhere else where it is not illegal."

Trauman was charged in June, three weeks after his home in Harwood North Dakota went up for sale.

The courts ordered Trauman to pay a $500 administrative fee and handed out a deferred imposition of sentence, meaning that he is placed on unsupervised probation. If he faces no more legal problems, he will be able to apply to the court in one year to have his guilty plea withdrawn, the case dismissed and the charge stricken from his record.

"The North Dakota statute seems to allow this activity if the bets are under $500," Goff said. "I fail to see the logic in that kind of a distinction, but that's the way the legislature drew it. I think there are some equal protection claims and so forth that could be made, but like I said, in 12 months this will be off his record, and he just wanted to get it over with and done."

Trauman will continue his gambling career in Kentucky, where he may legally do so.