The online casino industry was watching closely last year as the chairman of one of the most popular online casino sites was arrested and detained in New York. The interesting thing was that the online casino executive was arrested prior to the enactment of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Apparently, the executive was arrested for offering United States players online gambling services while avoiding from tax payment that is required by the U.S. law. The online casino company worked from the United Kingdom, where their operations were legal, and players from the United States were able to place real money bets through their service. The legal battle continued for a long time, and now news from the U.S. indicates that the case might be over soon.
The State of Louisiana accepted a punitive payment on the sum of $400,000 from the former online casino company, and decided to drop the charges. A magazine that covers the local online casino industry in the U.S. reported that extradition was nearly impossible, as the executive was detained in New York, but his arrest warrant was issued in Louisiana. As the online casino CEO did not physically commit any crimes in Louisiana, extradition was not possible - as extradition laws speak of crimes that were physically committed inside the country. United States authorities decided then to charge the online casino firm with a large sum of money, and close forget about the whole thing.
Louisiana is only one of the few countries in the U.S. that banned online wagering prior to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, and this case was the first one since the ban started back in 1997. The online casino industry has moved on since, and the main focus is no longer set on the United States market. With the closure of this last U.S. fiasco, it seems that all matters regarding the United States online casino gambling market are over with, and the industry can look at the brighter future ahead.
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