Jefferson City, Mo. -- Attorney General Jay Nixon has halted, at least
temporarily, the access of an Internet gambling business to Missouri
customers. Nixon obtained an agreement yesterday with Interactive Gaming &
Communications Corp. (IGC) that requires it to not accept bets or open
accounts for Missourians until a state court rules on Nixon's motion for a
preliminary injunction against the company.
Nixon filed suit on April 7 against IGC, a publicly-traded business
based in Blue Bell, Pa., after an "undercover" investigator from the
Attorney General's Office was told by a company representative that it was
legal for Missouri residents to participate in an online slots tournament.
The investigator then was able to set up an account with IGC and place a
bet from Missouri.
Nixon said the agreement requires IGC to post a prominent notice on its
website informing readers that it will not open accounts for Missourians for
the time being. IGC also will be required to return any applications and
payments sent to it from Missouri.
A hearing on the motion for a preliminary injunction scheduled for
April 25 in Jackson County Circuit Court was continued, but will be reset
for no later than May 30, Nixon said.
"We will continue to oppose any attempts to represent that this form of
unregulated gambling is legal in Missouri," Nixon said. "This agreement
places at least a temporary halt to this business taking bets from Missouri
until the larger issue is decided in a Missouri court of law."