Developers of gaming website convicted

In a first of a kind decision, the Magistrate Court in Rishon Le-zion, convicted two computer personell who provided technical support to a gambling website. The two were convicted based on their own admissions and as part of a plea bargain, for assisting in the running of lotteries and gambling (a crime under section 225 of the Israeli Criminal Code). Upon giving his decision, the judge stated that there was no doubt that the two were at the very bottom of the crime chain, that they did not receive any personal financial benefits from the running of the games and that the sum of their involvement was the technical support that they provided. Regardless, the judge went on to say that he viewed their actions as severe. The two designed a gaming website in 2007 for one of their clients and later set up a company under which they provided technical support for the website. Both defndents were sentenced to 9 months on probation and the company providing the support received a 30 thousand ILS fine. Soucre: Globes [Hebrew].