Police intervene in Royal Sports incident

Royal Sports.com has been the subject of caution flags at several watchdog sites this year after reports of payout difficulties, but this week the issue escalated to alarming proportions with allegations of attempted intimidation of a well known and respected watchdog site owner, John Walker and three of his Sports Book Review.com (SBR) staffers.

Bill Dozer and colleagues at Sportsbook Review.com (SBR) had earlier downgraded his rating for Royal Sports to a dismal D+ and has been monitoring complaints about the payment and promo activities of Royal Sports for some months.

Among issues SBR has studied is a restructuring project in an attempt to fix business weaknesses, and a case in a Dutch court in which an American player is alleging misconduct over a $50 000 claim which could now be heard in Costa Rica, where Royal Sports recently relocated from Curacao. Another case involving over $16 000 owed to an affiliate was also reported.

The intimidation took place in Costa Rica, where Dozer was visiting his staff and went unannounced to the offices of Royal Sports on the same floor of the Oficentro Building as Virtual casino group owner Tej Kohli, an operator with a chequered reputation.

Kohli is alleged to be the owner of Royal Sports, according to Roberto Castiglioni, a senior executive who was previously the CEO of the site and who now runs a watchdog operation. This has been confirmed by Royal's current management.

Apparently Kohli has denied ownership and asked for the chance to make a statement to this effect but then did not do so. Royal has not denied that Mr. Kohli is involved and current Royal management has not made a statement, but it is known that he is the majority, if not sole, owner from information supplied by the former CEO..

Dozer was denied access to the Royal office, and the fireworks started when he and his companions went to a local restaurant and found their car blocked in by a large vehicle and some scary, gun-toting heavies.

Fortunately, someone sounded the alarm and these thugs were arrested without further incident by heavily armed Costa Rican police. The SBR report says, "SBR appreciates the remarkable response time and overwhelming force employed by Costa Rican police."

Royal Sports has apparently now declined to issue a *corrective* statement as promised, leaving little doubt that the original report by SBR was correct and Kohli is involved in Royal Sports.

The SBR report goes on to say that, "Tactics of intimidation threaten the industry and give critics of gaming in Costa Rica fuel for their argument that gaming attracts thugs, organized crime and other undesirables."

When InfoPowa went to press it was not clear what had happened to the thugs arrested in this incident, and Dozer declined to comment any further than the information he had posted on his site saying, "SBR has made the decision not to speak about the incident in detail. We still have employees in Costa Rica and must consider their safety. This is a matter we are now leaving to the authorities."