BetonSports U.S. Ban Permanent

Published: Tuesday, November 07, 2006 Online-Casinos.com

BETONSPORTS U.S. BAN PERMANENT

Still no details of the deal struck with Department of Justice prosecutors

The temporary restraining order stopping BetonSports from offerings its services to US players has been made a permanent settlement after extensive negotiations between lawyers for the company and government prosecutors.

Lawyers representing BetonSports and government prosecutors agreed this week on a court order permanently restraining the indicted online gaming company from taking bets in the United States, lawyers on both sides told a U.S. court in St. Louis on Monday, reports Reuters.

The order is expected to be filed with the court later this week after technical Internet-related language is screened by experts.

The London-based company has not operated in the United States since mid-August after it and a dozen executives, several from related Florida companies, were named in a 22-count indictment alleging they failed to pay billions of dollars in excise taxes.

It had been placed under a temporary stop-business order by U.S. District Judge Carol Jackson pending discussions on language for a permanent order.

At Monday's hearing before Jackson, the lawyer representing BoS, Jeffrey Demerath, said agreement on the restraining order was not to be taken as an admission of guilt on the part of the company.