SportingBet Peter DicksSportingbet PLC (which also owns Paradise Poker, among other gaming entities) confirmed that its non-executive chairman Peter Dicks has been arrested and detained by US Authorities upon his arrival at Kennedy International Airport on a warrant issued by the state of Louisiana.
The laws on the books in the state of Louisiana designate that it is against the law to both place a bet on the Internet and to operate an online casino, bookmaking or poker operation. While the indictment against SportingBet was issued back in May, Louisiana officials would not comment as to the actions taken against Mr. Dicks.
A statement from the company said a hearing for Dicks is scheduled for 2.00 pm BST and added pending clarification of the situation the Board has sought immediate temporary suspension of Sportingbet’s shares.
Further information on Togel Online will be issued in due course it added.
This is the second of arrests that have taken place in the U. S. in the past couple of months against Internet gaming. In July, the former CEO of BetOnSports, David Carruthers, was arrested by federal law enforcement
officers during a layover in Dallas for his organization’s acceptance of bets over the Internet. Carruthers was released on bail but he cannot leave the US where he’s still awaiting resolution of his case.
BetandWin’s co-chief executives Manfred Bodner and Norbert Teufelberger have been detained this afternoon for questioning by French police. They were held for allegations relating to French gaming laws violations.
Manfred Bodner and Norbert Teufelberger BetandWinThe two executives were arrested at the end of Friday morning at Monaco’s training ground, where they were due to attend a press conference highlighting Bwin’s sponsorship of Monaco football club. BetandWin is also a betting partner with other French teams, Bordeaux and Auxerre are among them.
French authorities said that they would do their utmost to prevent any other private operators from operating in the French market.
“Online betting, lottery and casino games” are “illegal” and that “operating the site is the main offence.”
Online betting has always been illegal in France and as the stakes are getting more and more important the decision to take action was implemented. But this was made possible by the fact that both individuals were on French soil.
The arrests happened on the same day that the German state of Bavaria also banned BetandWin.
Speculations are appearing that the French authorities may have been pressured by France’s two biggest land-based casino groups, Partouche and Barrière.
The two companies had recently wanted to launch online versions of their casino products but had not been allowed to do so by French gaming and gambling authorities. Partouche subsequently set up an office in London to operate its online gaming business.
