DA: 17 Indicted In Connection To Illegal Nationwide Sports Betting Ring

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Seventeen people from New York, Nevada and California have been indicted by a Queens grand jury in connection with an illegal sports betting ring that allegedly booked more than $32 million in bets.

Defendants face charges including enterprise corruption, money laundering, promoting gambling and conspiracy, authorities said.

Fourteen people, including three from New York State, are in custody. The other three facing charges are still sought by police, authorities said.

The defendants face up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

Authorities said the defendants used an off-shore Internet gambling website and accepted bets on college basketball, football, hockey and baseball.

In 2012, the Queens District Attorney announced the indictments of 25 people in connection with an illegal sports betting operation with ties to the Bonnano crime family.

New Jersey has been trying to legalize sports betting in the state since 2009. Proposals to authorize the practice have gone back and forth in court, with supporters arguing that sports betting will help boost activity in Atlantic City's struggling casinos and racetracks.

In August, a federal appeals court in Philadelphia upheld a federal ban of sports betting. An appeals court later voted to reconsider the ban on Oct. 14.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)