Five of the suspects accused of operating an illegal World Cup football betting ring in Las Vegas have pleaded guilty, meaning only Malaysian high-stakes poker player Paul Phua Wei Seng and his son, Darren Phua, will be tried, court documents indicate. The Phuas deny the charges against them. Their co-accused have done plea-bargaining deals with the prosecution. They are among eight Malaysians or Chinese charged by the US authorities with operating the betting ring after Federal Bureau of Investigation agents raided their villas in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in July while the accused were watching a World Cup semi-final on television.
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