NEWS UPDATE: Additional Domains Seized and more Indictments Unsealed

25/05/2011 11:05
Type Online Report
Theme sportsbook

As a follow up to our recently reported story regarding the seizure of the domain names Bookmaker.com and BetEd.com, we would like to report that, in addition to the above-mentioned domains, 2Betsdi.com, Funtimebingo.com, Goldenarchcasino.com, Truepoker.com, Betmaker.com, Betgrandesports.com, Doylesroom.com, and Betehorse.com have also been siezed by order of a warrant obtained by the US Attorneys Office for the District of Maryland.

In addition, a grand jury has indicted both Thrill X and BMX Entertainment along with three individuals for allegedly conducting an illegal gambling business and money laundering.

Associated therewith, bank accounts in North Carolina, Guam, Portugal, Malta, Panama, the Netherlands allegedly associated with 10 internet gaming companies have been seized.

Reportedly, evidence to corroborate the governments case was obtained via various sting operations where the government set up its own payment processing company to service the payments of the gaming companies, and of course sent its own false players to gamble at the sites as well.

The fact that the government itself created the processing service and solicited the gaming companies could be construed as entrapment. In effect the government itself created the alleged crime -- or at least the activity itself that was undertaken by the witnesses could not have taken place without the assistance of the government.

While the government would easily win the case in most normal situations by getting the defendant to bargain a guilty plea to a lesser offense, in this case where the defendants are likely harder to reach, and also have plenty of money to commit to the axiom "how much justice can you afford?", there is a real possibility that the government might actually lose its case.

That said, it could also be argued that the system is completely rigged in favor of the government anyway -- traditional interpretations of law and justice notwithstanding.

The turmoil in the online gaming sector continues...

"Q"
Wheretobet.com

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