The BetonSports ordeal has virtually the entire online gambling industry scrambling to grasp of what exactly happened and what it means to other businesses in the industry. Of particular interest is the implications for U.K.-based operators under the terms of the U.S./U.K. extradition treaty. While much remains to be revealed, legal experts are chiming in with their take on what has happened so far and the ramifications of Sunday's bust.
Following are briefings from three British law firms with expertise in the field of interactive gambling.
David Carruthers Arrest - Crackdown by the Department of Justice
Summary: The recent arrest of David Carruthers and the list of charges leveled against him, Gary Kaplan and others involved in the operation and advertising of the business indicate that the Department of Justice has now taken the gloves off in challenging the remote betting and gaming industries.
Manches
David Schollenberger
david.schollenberger@manches.com
Online Gambling: The Department of Justice Flexes Its Muscles
Summary: The BetonSports prosecution appears to be a test case for the DoJ. The outcome will be watched with great interest and baited breath by the entire online gambling community.
Olswang
Richard Taylor (Richard.Taylor@olswang.com)
David Zeffman (David.Zeffman@olswang.com)
BetonSports Ramifications - Can the US Authorities Extradite You?
Summary: As has been shown recently in the case of the NATWEST THREE, the US will not hesitate to invoke the extradition treaty to get the UK to send its own citizens to the US to face charges. Furthermore, the US Department of Justice has already indicated in the instance of the Kaplan Gambling Enterprise that they are looking at extradition proceedings.
Tarlo Lyons
Peter Wilson (peter.wilson@tarlolyons.com)
Sarah Rees (sarah.rees@tarlolyons.com)