BetonSports Settlement Arrangement

Published: Saturday, November 11, 2006 Online-Casinos.com

BETONSPORTS REQUIRED TO AFFIRM ILLEGALITY OF U.S. ONLINE GAMBLING?

One part of the settlement arrangement that most media missed

The settlement of the civil case between the US Department of Justice and UK online gambling group BetonSports last week had one important sting in the tail that has so far been largely disregarded by the media - it requires BetonSports to affirm that "Internet gambling is illegal in the United States."

Whilst BetonSports legal eagles have been adamant in insisting that the settlement does not represent any admission of wrongdoing, the company is required to take out a US advertisement in a major newspaper telling US customers that Internet gambling is illegal in the United States and the company will no longer take their bets. It must post similar messages on its Web sites.

US gambling law expert Professor I. Nelson Rose says that the settlement isn't likely to have a huge effect on the Internet gambling industry. Rose said companies paid more attention to the recent passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which President Bush signed into law October 13. The act cracks down on US banks that transfer bets placed on the Internet.

Rose said passage of the act forced Internet gambling companies to decide whether they want to risk doing business in the United States.