By Amanda Roberson, Tico Times Staff

Frequent visitors to the sports gambling Web site BetonSports… may have been surprised yesterday to discover that the site’s usual home page had been replaced with a message explaining that “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.”

This comes three days after BetonSports’ Chief Executive Officer (CEO) David Carruthers, a British citizen, was arrested by U.S. authorities at the Dallas airport. Carruthers, along with 10 other people, is being charged with racketeering, conspiracy and fraud by the U.S. Department of Justice, according to a statement from the department.

BetonSports’ founder Gary Kaplan is also in custody and being charged with 20 felony violations of federal laws and failing to pay federal wagering excise taxes on more than $3.3 billion in wagers taken from the United States. The U.S. government is seeking forfeiture of $4.5 billion from Kaplan and his associates, the statement said.

BetonSports investor relations advisor Ginny Pulbrook told The Tico Times in a phone interview from London that Carruthers’ arrest came as “a complete and utter surprise” to the company, which is appealing his arrest.

Costa Rican Internet gambling insiders say they are also surprised by the U.S.’s action, considering that BetonSports is registered in England and operates a call center employing more than 1,500 people in Costa Rica.

Still, Eduardo Agami, president of the Costa Rican Call Centers and Electronic Data Association, said “ I’d be hard pressed to think it will be enough to shut them down.”

Despite the Web site not functioning, employees reported to work as normal yesterday at BetonSports’ offices, which occupy the top four floors of the San Pedro Mall, east of San José.

The Costa Rican office has not made any official statements or responded to questions about Carruthers’ arrest.