Costa Rica-based businessman was sentenced to six months of home confinement for his role in illegal sportsbook Tradewinds. (Image: Instagram)Michael Lawrence “Scott” Brannon pleaded guilty in February in the Eastern District of Texas to operating an illegal gambling business in violation of federal law. U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant III sentenced him to 12 months’ probation, including six months of home confinement, according to a judgment entered February 19. Austin later resurfaced in Costa Rica, where he became an early player in the emerging offshore online sports betting industry. In 2023, Mazzant sentenced him to five years’ probation, including six months of home detention.