Payment processor ePassporte informed U.S-facing Internet gambling clients that it would no longer serve them. The Curacao-based company says it has been alerted that the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York is conducting a widespread investigation into gambling.
"Although we do not believe we have done anything illegal, we do not wish to be associated with anything that might be considered illegal by the United States government," the company said.
Gambling industry publication IGamingNews.com says the U.S. Attorney's Office would neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation.
Following the enactment of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, a number of privately-owned online gambling sites have continued to take U.S. play, but payment options have dwindled. Neteller, the industry's largest payment processor, left the U.S. market in January 2007, followed by Citadel, Instadebit, Click2Pay and more.