WSEX Founder Steve Schillinger Found Dead

[wayne1218]

Steve Schillinger, co-founder as one of the earliest online sportsbooks, was found dead in his Antigua condominium on Friday night of a gunshot wound to the head. Neighbors in the Darkwood Beach complex, located in St. John’s, discovered his body around 5:00 pm after going to his apartment to invite him to a function on Friday evening. The neighbors found the apartment door open, and called police immediately after finding his body.

A .380 pistol was found near Schillinger’s body. He died of a single gunshot wound to the head, according to police spokesman Frankie Thomas. Schillinger was 60 years old.

Schillinger and business partners Jay Cohen and Hayden Ware were stock traders in the United States before moving to Antigua to set up shop as World Sports Exchange sportsbook (WSEX). All three were indicted by the United States government; Schillinger and Ware refused to return to the US to face trial. Cohen did return, was found guilty of violating the wire act, and spent time in federal prison.

WSEX was once one of the stronger sportsbooks in the world, catering mainly to United States sports bettors. It has since fallen on hard times, and reportedly recently closed up shop owing millions of dollars to sports bettors.

Foul play has not been ruled out.

[wayne1218]

Friends and Family Pay Tribute to WSEX Founder Steve Schillinger

April 24, 2013 by Angela Burrows


There wasn’t a lot of sadness in the gambling world when word started to leak out that Steve Schillinger, one of the founders of WSEX sportsbook, had died of a gunshot wound in his Antigua apartment. The scars of WSEX going rogue run deep, and with no explanation forthcoming from WSEX, the simplest excuse was accepted: WSEX stole the money.

But there was another side to Steve Schillinger, one that is only now coming out as news of his death is making the rounds. His daughter, Casey Ann, had this to say in a post on Caribarena.com:


"Thank you to everyone who has been there for my father and for your thoughts and prayers. No matter what anyone has to say about my father in a resentful way is on you. I knew my dad, and I am the luckiest girl in the world to have had such a great relationship with the sweetest and most caring, funny, and sincere man that Ive ever met. I’m sorry for the things that he did to make you see him that way. My dad was worth more to me than any amount of money. So please have some respect. He was the best dad in the whole world and I will keep everyone who has something else to say in my prayers."