Arrests

Louisiana journalist, poker blogger, and luckbox C.J. Hoyt of Up for Poker took it upon himself to investigate why his home state had a warrant out for the arrest of SportingBet's Peter Dicks. Of the many questions Dicks' arrest begs, I found the following one particularly interesting.

Who else has outstanding warrants against them?

That question won't be answered until the next executive is dumb enough to get off a plane in the United States. You can assume that if the State Police placed bets online at SportingBet.com, then they also visited other online sportsbooks. That means dozens of executives may have outstanding warrants. Normally, we'd know exactly who, but an unknown judge who signed off on the warrants also decided to seal them. We know from a conversation with the clerk of courts that a file exists. They're just not allowed to open it for us.

Check out C.J.'s entire piece here. It's well worth a read.

In yet another high-profile gaming-related arrest, SportingBet chairman Peter Dicks was arrested Wednesday upon his arrival in the United States at New York's JFK airport. The State of Louisiana has had a warrant out since May for his arrest on charges of illegal bookmaking, as Louisiana law contends that it is illegal to accept bets over the internet. U.S. Customs officials noticed the warrant during a routine check after Dicks arrived in New York from London. After appearing at a hearing last night in Kew Gardens, Queens, Dicks was jailed in New York as his attorneys fought his extradition to Louisiana. Dicks had only traveled to the U.S. for a board meeting at computer company Standard Microsystems.

Meanwhile, online gaming stocks fell across the board this week on news of Mr. Dicks' arrest.

So it looks like BetonSports (BOS topper Peter Carruthers was arrested at the Dallas Airport on similar charges back in July) isn't the only online gaming operation in the government's cross-hairs. The authorities are going after as many companies as they can and this is likely only the beginning until the Senate takes up the online gaming legislation sitting on their desks in Washington.

All I have to say is that they will have to pry my mouse from my cold dead hands!