Issue N11, 2007
March 22, 2007
888.com Voted best Online Casino in the United Kingdom
“Mind the Bet” online gambling resource site runs an annual Top Online Casino award, which judges internet casinos based on several factors. For the second consecutive year, the award was presented to 888.com. Based on findings by Mind the Bet’s review staff, as well as many feedback and comments received by the site’s readers, it was found that 888.com could definitely be considered the United Kingdom’s best-loved online casino.
888.com was also awarded the prestigious title of 2006’s Top Casino of the Year after being voted as such by over 10,000 online gamblers. The site is well known for its excellent customer services, wide variety of games (especially slots) and good response times. In addition, 888.com is well established in the industry, being one of the oldest and more reputable sites in the business. It is thought that over 25 million people from over 150 countries worldwide have downloaded this company’s software since it was established in 1997.
Miami Couple Pleas Guilty to Online Gambling Operation
A couple from Miami Florida, Daniel and Melissa Clarin, pleaded guilty in a New York court for violation of New York State’s gambling control laws and being part of a $3.3-billion online gambling operation over a period of 2 years. The Clarins are part of a 20-defendant group being sued by the District Attorney’s Special Proceedings Bureau in a $500 million civil forfeiture action. In all likelihood, Daniel Clarin will serve between 2 to 7 years in jail, and a quarter-million dollars forfeiture sentence; although his wife will avoid jail sentencing in exchange for $72,000 forfeiture in illegal earnings.
The couple are guilty of operating what the District Attorney termed “a lucrative and illegal, global gambling operation that took in untold millions of dollars in unlawfully earned proceeds through casinos, shell corporations and bank accounts in a variety of locations around the globe.” Bettors could place wagers on popular sporting events such as baseball, basketball, NASCAR, golf, tennis and football under the Playwithal site.
Massachusetts Congressman Hints at UIGEA Repeal
Six months after the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was signed into law by President George Bush, Massachusetts Congressman, Barney Frank (Republican), has commented that he is considering possible legislation that would repeal the Act. Frank, who acts as Chairman of the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee said that he would give details about the repeal in the coming weeks.
Frank is in no hurry to draft the bill yet and has commented that he will be consulting with others on the matter before taking it another step. Some even feel that he is performing what is known as ‘lip service’ – brief comments made by politicians on controversial issues that are non-binding and could be interpreted in several ways. However, there seems to be a ray of hope that we will soon be seeing the back of the UIGEA, a law that has caused so much damage to the online gambling industry in the United States.
Neteller Reaches Agreement with U.S. Department of Justice
U.S gamblers who had their funds frozen by the online funds transfer service, Neteller, will be happy to note that the company reached an agreement with the U.S. DOJ. As a result, Neteller has announced that it is working on a plan to release the money that is owing to its ex-U.S. players within 75 days. In January, the Department of Justice arrested two former Neteller employees, John Lefevbre and Stephen Lawrence, on charges of money laundering and conspiracy.
If the DOJ wanted to work according to the letter of the law, they were entitled to seize the $55-million in funds under the rules of U.S. forfeiture law. However, it was announced this week that Neteller and the Department had formally signed an agreement whereby the funds company would work together with a forensic auditing group to return the funds to its U.S. customers within 2 and a half months. Formerly, 85% of online payments in the gambling industry were made through Neteller and the arrests and subsequent funds freeze and brought the company to a virtual standstill.
Although the U.S customers waiting for their money will be pleased to have their cash released, not everyone in the industry is satisfied with the deal reached between Neteller and the Department of Justice. Many feel that the DOJ struck the deal after it saw a perfect opportunity to gain intimate details regarding the online payment process in its attempts to track illegal money laundering and even terrorist activities. While this might not be such a bad thing in itself, many are concerned that other companies could have charges brought against them to provide a pretext for the DOJ to gain valuable industry information.