Companies
Louisiana State Police drops Sportingbet arrest warrants
The Louisiana
State Police have withdrawn their warrant for the arrest of Peter Dicks, the
former chairman of
Sportingbet arrested last year for alleged violation of laws relating to
gambling by computer.
Sportingbet described the resolution it had reached with
the Louisiana police as “amicable” and said “all related warrants … have been
cancelled with immediate effect”. Dicks’ arrest was an early sign of the US’
crackdown on online gambling, which eventually led to legislation that
effectively prohibits overseas companies from taking bets in the US.
Meanwhile, the European Commission formally requested
that Denmark, Finland and Hungary remove obstacles to the free movement of
sports betting services. If these member states do not make satisfactory
responses within two months, the matter may be referred to the European Court of
Justice.
However, in a sign that regulatory concerns are still
negatively effecting the online gambling sector, money transfer business
NETELLER announced it will
cease to process payments in Canada and Turkey.
NETELLER attributed its decision to “increased
uncertainty around certain activities related to online gambling in some
jurisdictions”. While NETELLER’s Turkish business was small, its Canadian
operations were expected to have made a significant contribution to revenue
during 2007, and the company’s results are likely to be impacted accordingly.
Links
Louisiana
State Police
Sportingbet
NETELLER
April, 2007 |
