Michael Lawrence Brannon Hutson, known as Scott Brannon, has received a sentence for running an illegal gambling operation in Costa Rica following his guilty plea. A Texas judge sentenced him to one year of probation, which includes six months of home confinement. In addition, Brannon agreed to forfeit $25 million, acknowledging these funds stemmed from his gambling enterprise.
Brannon's guilty plea, entered in February, pertains to a count of operating an illegal gambling business. He allegedly managed the gambling platform Tradewinds from 2013 until 2021, among several other operations.
The investigation into Brannon began as early as 2015, initiated by authorities in Costa Rica. His business partner, David Patey, was at the time president of Club Sport Herediano, one of the country's largest soccer teams.
Emilia Navas, the interim district attorney, stated that Brannon and Patey were suspected of running illegal operations, including drug trafficking and money laundering. She publicly confirmed in 2018 that authorities had started an investigation three years prior. "The crimes Hutson and Patey are being investigated for include money laundering and drug trafficking," Navas noted. The complexities of the case, involving multiple parties and various offenses, have contributed to delays in the investigation process.
Patey has denied involvement in the crimes but acknowledged that Brannon was indeed conducting a gambling operation. "Scott has an online betting business in Asia, with a call center here, like many others; it’s a transparent business," he claimed during a press conference, adding, "I put my hands on fire for him. I’ve never seen anything illegal."
This admission led to an immediate inquiry by the Costa Rican Football Federation, as Brannon co-owned Club Sport Herediano alongside Patey. FIFA regulations prohibit individuals managing or owning professional soccer teams from being associated with gambling or betting activities. Following the emergence of the scandal, Patey resigned from his presidency at the club.
Brannon supplied Asian customers through the Tradewinds platform, which operated under a Costa Rican domain (www.trdwd.ec). The site offered language options including Spanish, Chinese, Thai, and English, notwithstanding that online gambling is illegal in China and Thailand. The website lacked any legitimate gambling licenses and has since been rendered inaccessible, with its last operational date reported in June of the previous year.
As part of Brannon's sentencing, the court barred him from owning, operating, managing, consulting for, or participating in any gambling business. Furthermore, he is prohibited from registering or maintaining any internet domain associated with gambling services.
While ordered to forfeit $25 million, sources have indicated to CasinoBeats that Tradewinds likely generated significantly higher profits. Brannon was not the only owner; in 2021, prosecutors searched the residence of co-owner Clarence 'Gary' Austin, confiscating approximately $13 million in assets. There is currently no record of Austin facing prosecution.
Costa Rica is known for hosting offshore gambling operations, which can establish websites and call centers with minimal regulation. Last year, Japanese authorities asked Costa Rican officials to shut down illegal gambling sites targeting Japanese users. Although under investigation, Brannon has not been charged with any crimes in Costa Rica.
