Sheriff Gaming CEO faces four-year imprisonment in the Netherlands

A Netherlands court could slap a punishment of four years of jail term for Stijn Flapper, the former CEO of Sheriff Gaming, the now defunct slots developer. The Dutch prosecutors have demanded in Den Bosh court that Flapper should be given a prison sentence of four years. They also demanded for imprisonment of his brothers Maurice Gregoire and Michel Gregoire for their role in the fraud.

All the three have been under trial since 2013, when police raided the offices of Sheriff Gaming and its parent company Bubble Group NV, to seize various documents. The company was running an alleged unlicensed online gambling ring that is believed to have made over €100m as revenue.

Flapper has denied the substance of the allegations against himself and the Gregoire brothers, and filed a €75m lawsuit against the Netherlands government last year, arguing that he’d “done nothing illegal.”

Prosecutors have accused Flapper and his partners of using a network of seven Costa Rica-based gambling sites to launder money from other illegal activities, including drug trafficking. Flapper has vehemently denied any drug connection, arguing that no drugs were found on the arrested individuals.

One of the more disturbing allegations to emerge from the lengthy criminal proceedings was the testimony of a Sheriff Gaming software engineer who claimed the company’s slots products were designed not to pay out large jackpots, while jackpots that were hit went to “family and friends” of the three principals.

Flapper’s brother tried to revive Bubble Group with a new name, Blue Gem Gaming, but they failed as Dutch authorities were alert to the move. Eventually, Novomatic Group based in Austria bought the assets of Bubble Group.

Source: CalvinAyre