Peter Dicks Resigns but is Also Free

[Slotty McSlots]

Peter Dicks has resigned as CEO of Sportingbet PLC. He was arrested last week in New York City on a warrant from the state of Louisiana, where online gambling of any kind is strictly illegal. He had been released after being in custody for a couple of days, but the city of New York had been withholding his passport because they might have extradited him to the state of Louisiana.

On Thursday a judge ordered his passport returned and Dicks was able to return to England. His Louisiana warrant is still active and he could face another arrest, although it seems to me like at this point that's pretty unlikely. The charges against Peter Dicks were never as severe as the charges against David Caruthers of BetonSports, who had been arrested earlier this year on money laundering and illegal gambling charges. He's under house arrest and out on a $1 million bond right now.

The only person to have ever been convicted and served time for an online gambling arrest is Jay Cohen.

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[Solomon]

I've read where many of these guys are staying away from the United States for the time being, and not even stopping in a U.S. airport for a layover. That's probably a good idea for the time being. I imagine things will calm down after the November elections...hopefully.

[najdoyza]

I've said this before - It will NEVER go to trial. But when the charges are dropped it will only get ink on somehing like page 62 of the metro section. The govt did this as a scare tactic to get big press from it and most people will fall for it.

This arrest was basically the same as arresting me on vacation in th UK because I own a firearm. They are legal here, and I would never take it on vaction - especially to a country where it isn't legal. But I get arrrested just for owning it. There's an international incident waiting to happen! He was doing something in HIS country that was legal in HIS country but he was arrested here anyway. The US Govt thinks we are all IDIOTS! And the sad thing is it's working.

The wire act they used as reason to detain him is ambiguos at best and really doesn't apply as he did nothing here. The new gambling legislation that was passed is also ambiguos and full of holes. It's also completely unenforceable - so the Govt. wants banks to be the police force for this law. Besides, the method in which Frist and his cronies used to get this passed amounts to nothing more than legislative fraud.

Not only that - some of these legislators who are using protection of children and saving gambling addicts from themselves as cover for these actions are taking campaign contributions from big US casino companies. One of them is now under investigation for insider trading cause he has taken over 50k from Harrahs Entertainment Group for his campaign AND he owns stock. Getting this bill passed tanked a number of British gaming company stocks while Harrah's stock tripled!

IF they really want to protect our kids - go after the predators and pedophiles. Regulate and tax internet gambling to pay for chasing the real criminals. Protect gambling addicts - YEAH RIGHT. Keep em off the internet and force them to go to casinos where they get free drinks and access to cash machines! That makes lot's of sense...