Federal prosecutors have charged 22 people with running a sophisticated illegal gambling operation out of Gino’s Steakhouse in Merrillville, Indiana. The ringleaders, according to the indictment, are James Gerodemos (known as Jimmy the Greek) and Dean Gialamas, who allegedly headed what prosecutors are calling the Gerodemos Gambling Organization.

Online Sportsbooks and Credit Lines

The whole thing ran through two websites: Garden City Bets and ABC Wagering. Both are still live online. Garden City Bets offered casino games, a sportsbook, and a racebook. ABC Wagering plastered itself with branding from major sports leagues—the English Premier League, NBA, NHL, NFL, NCAA—to look legitimate.

But here’s what made it illegal: they handed out gambling credit lines to customers and then leaned hard on debt collection. Commission agents took between 25% and 50% on the money they collected from losing bets. Whatever was left went up the chain to Gerodemos and Gialamas.

Super Bowl Revenue and Threats

The Super Bowl was their goldmine. Prosecutors say the organization pulled in between $700,000 and $900,000 a year just from selling line pool betting cards that went for $500 to $25,000 each.

The indictment lays out a pattern of intimidation aimed at gamblers who owed money. Gerodemos sent threatening messages to customers—sometimes targeting their families as well. One victim, fed up with repeated threats, shot back a text message telling Gerodemos he was going to report the threats to police and made clear that dragging families into it had crossed a line.

Operational Structure and Enforcement

The operation staffed both Gino’s Steakhouse and a second spot called Paragon restaurant to handle revenue collection and distribution. An undercover investigation that started in 2021 exposed just how sprawling the network was. During surveillance, an accomplice named Michael Campbell got paranoid about the undercover agents; at one point he chased one at speeds over 100 mph.

Gerodemos is 62 and facing 17 counts, including extortion, money laundering, and operating an illegal gambling business. He’s got prior convictions too, including a six-month stretch for possessing over 16,000 pounds of illegal explosives.

Broader Indiana Crackdown

This indictment fits into a bigger picture. Indiana has been tightening its regulatory grip across the board. The state recently passed legislation that explicitly bans sweepstakes casinos and gave the Indiana Gaming Commission teeth: they can now impose civil penalties up to $100,000 on operators or individuals knowingly offering these games to Indiana residents, even out-of-state platforms that target players in the state.