Mobile Payments Miss The Mark; Picking Up Chicks Is The Ideal Application

Note To Online Gambling Execs (Again): You Probably Want To Stay Out Of The US For A While

from the tell-your-travel-agent dept

Thu, Sep 7th 2006 8:36am — Carlo Longino

After the CEO of the online gambling company BetOnSports was arrested in the Dallas airport during a stopover on his way to Costa Rica, and the cancellation of a conference in Las Vegas on fears other online gambling execs would get arrested, you'd think it was pretty clear that it's probably a good idea to stay out of the US if you run an online casino. However, the news apparently didn't get through to to the chairman of British gambling company Sportingbet, as he too has been detained by US authorities. Just like previous arrests, this won't do anything to stop Americans from gambling online, and it certainly won't do anything to stop gambling completely, since plenty of offline opportunities to make bets and play casino games still exist. So what is the net effect? Very little, apart from the appearance of a "crackdown" on internet gambling. In any case, just to make it clear to any other people running or working for online gambling companies: if you run or work for an online gambling company, it's probably not a good idea to visit Disney World, the Statue of Liberty, the Space Needle, or anywhere else in the US anytime soon.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

24 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

Anonymous Coward, 7 Sep 2006 @ 9:09am

wtf...
this is absurd

are we just going to hold them until we can make a law against gambling? then throw away the key?

how is this legal?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Smiley, 7 Sep 2006 @ 9:10am

More Mindless Babble
Jesus, what a freaking waste of time. I’m so happy we live in a world where it’s necessary to find methods to waste valuable tax dollars on all sorts of shit, all the while missing the things that really matter. Good thing we have such a mindless administration in place to weather the storm, stay the course and keep us in line. Without it, we might actually be an effective group of individuals. God save the king….erm the Fruit Cakes in power….!!!!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Joe, 7 Sep 2006 @ 9:12am

They're just pissed, because they aren't getting a slice of it.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
MikeR, 7 Sep 2006 @ 9:18am

I believe you already pointed out the solution in an earlier post. The on-line companies should band together and offer to pay brib... er, taxes to the US government on all income generated from US IP addresses. Add the kicker of convincing the US government to use the money to "protect the kids" on the Internet and you have a real winner
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Betting they will never win, 7 Sep 2006 @ 9:25am

Who is worried about online gambling?
I belive it is the owners of the casino's, not the general public. Notice to any official reading this, quit wasting your time and our tax money fighting this issue. It is like prohibition, you will never stop it and there are many more important things out there. Why don't you do more to stop the illegal immigration and drug traffic from Mexico. It may be a losing battle, but at least it is worth fighting! Trying to stop people from spending their money on entertainment they choose is a waste of time. Heck, if you allow the servers in the US, you can even tax the profits. Now, it all goes off shore. Common sense people!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Lay Person, 7 Sep 2006 @ 9:30am

It's all a bunch of crap...
I'll be more than happy to take over BetOnSports or Sportingbet. I hear gambling is a lucrative business and I'll take my chances off shore.

Only reason the governement is pissed is because the government cornered itself and now can't get any of the action.

Typical government intrusion. Let's make gambling illegal... except in some locations. If someone finds a way around this ruling we'll arrest them for no reason and then hope the problem goes away.

If it doesn't go away we'll make the problem something else, we'll convince the media that this is the actual problem, then we'll procede to do as we wish. Even arresting people that aren't breaking the law.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Nick, 7 Sep 2006 @ 9:33am

Doublethink
Free trade my ass.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
me, 7 Sep 2006 @ 9:37am

good!
these spamming deserve every stinking thing they have coming! Use them for medical experiments to!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 7 Sep 2006 @ 9:42am

humm....complain about losing money....

what to do..what to do...

I know spend even MORE money trying to catch these crooks...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Ryan, 7 Sep 2006 @ 9:48am

spammers?
I want to make it clear that it's not the actual online betting places that spam... it's the people who sign up under their affiliate programs.

poker sites at least, can't afford to ditch affiliates though... what with the rake, without new players the site would eventually get all the money.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Alan, 7 Sep 2006 @ 9:52am

Pick a fight you can win
I think the U$ Government has a better chance of stopping the tides than preventing people from gambling with their own after-tax money. Why not concentrate on something useful like defeating AL Queda (or AIDS)?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
whargoul, 7 Sep 2006 @ 10:04am

What's curious to me is
They know exactly when the exec of an online gambling company is about to land, but they can't get their shit straight with imigration and terrorists.

Sounds to me like Homeland Security needs to talk to the folks who are finding and arresting these execs.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Rabid Wolverine, 7 Sep 2006 @ 10:21am

Online craps...
"The homeland is threatened by enemies from within and without. There is chaos in the streets. We need law and order."

Adolph Hitler - 1933
[ link to this | view in thread ]
wiser, 7 Sep 2006 @ 11:12am

Unregulated = Corrupt
These offshore companies deserve all that gets thrown at them from the US. These establishments are completely unregulated and more than likely have corrupt methods to keep the money coming in. There are plenty of Americans getting their bank accounts cleaned out. and it probably has nothing to do with bad luck.

Poker sites have no way to protect you from playes in collusion and could care less as long as they get their take. They have been laughing all the way to the bank. Fortunately a couple of them are stuck with no outlet to spent their ill-got gains.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Dumber, 7 Sep 2006 @ 11:28am

Re: Unregulated = Corrupt
LOL Spoken like someone who sucks at poker! HA HA HA! So, because they are "unregulated" YOU think they are "most likely" corrupt... Idiot.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Wiser, 7 Sep 2006 @ 11:36am

Re: Re: Unregulated = Corrupt
More than likely should be enough for any sane American to keep their money in the US. If you want to play, play in a brick and morter, regulated USA establishment. Also you have no way of knowing where the funds are ending up, and that is a possible threat to all of our safety. Oh, and you are the idiot. LOL HAHAHA!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Wiser, 7 Sep 2006 @ 11:57am

Re: wtf...
That law already exists... Tax evasion.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Corey, 7 Sep 2006 @ 12:13pm

Re: Online craps...
What is really sad about your quote is that it is just as apt today as it was when Hitler said it.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Lay Person, 7 Sep 2006 @ 12:38pm

Re: Unregulated = Corrupt
Who cares?

I have a website that coerces you to give me your money.

It doesn't matter whether or not you get what is promised.
This happens all day long legally here on U.S. soil. Advertisers promise hot chicks with a six pack of Miller. Do you really get the hot chicks with the beer?

It comes down to buyer beware! There are all kinds of scams out there and the law and government WILL NOT PROTECT YOU! You can only protect yourself...you make your money, you spend it. If you need to be told to not gamble your money away, is anyone but you to blame?

As far as unregulated = corrupt, we have things regulated to the teeth and guess what? Yup, we're still corrupt to the teeth. i.e. Enron, U.S. Patent Office, ICAAN...to name a few.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
wiser, 7 Sep 2006 @ 3:31pm

Re: Re: Unregulated = Corrupt
"I have a website that coerces you to give me your money.

It doesn't matter whether or not you get what is promised."

I think there are plenty of Americans who are wise enough not to be coersed into a scam, on the other hand there are plenty who are not. The ones who are not are getting bailed out by chargebacks, family bailouts and government assistance to name but a few.

To play at an unregulated gambling establishment is a gamble on the honesty of the online casino, and unfortunately that overshadows any skill or luck these players actually have.

Playing at a government regulated casino at least fixes the honesty gamble. And if you lose its your own fault.

As far as the "it doesn't matter if you get what is promised" argument, it's still a scam. Scammers suck!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 7 Sep 2006 @ 6:36pm

Re: Who is worried about online gambling?
It is pretty funny that you mention fighting against drugs and not stopping people from spending their money on entertainment they choose in the same paragraph.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Michael Vilain, 7 Sep 2006 @ 7:39pm

Re: This should be intersting
The first CEO they arrested was an American citizen doing business on foreign soil (Costa Rica). I can see the Justice Department going after him.

This second guy was British, doing business outside the US. The Justice Department might make a case for him but I'm hoping his embassy is involved as well as the Home Office and US State Department. Otherwise, the US might be creating a serious problem of quid pro quo around the world.

I can imagine activities by various US corporations carried out on US soil that are illegal in other countries. What's to stop the country where that activity is illegal from detaining and prosecuting the CEO of said company if they should foolishly come to that country for a conference?

That Russian cryptographer who cracked the PDF reader was finally let go after being arrested for copyright infringement for their web site (written in English but hosted on Russian servers).

How is this different? Does the Justice Department _really_ want to go there? Could get really sticky, especially if the US doesn't have juristiction over foreign-based servers. Pirate Bay was back days after that very weird and questionable police raid, thumbing their nose at the RIAA and MPAA.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 7 Sep 2006 @ 11:39pm

Re: Re: wtf...
Um, he's not subject to US tax laws, try again.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
??, 26 Jan 2007 @ 10:15am

Re: Unregulated = Corrupt
Everything that you have said has been based on possibly, and probably. What the hell happened to free trade? If someone chooses to bet online as a means to try to make money, than so be it. We don't need the government intervening with every aspect of our lives. Not to mention that these CEO's will be facing more jail time than some child rapists, it is ridiculous, the state is clearly just using this as a way to find out how they can get a cut.
[ link to this | view in thread ]