Gambling News by Gambling Headquarters

With the US government cracking down on online gambling, what are the odds for the industry in America? It's an impressive list: the September arrest of Peter Dicks, non-executive chairman of Sportingbet; the July arrest of David Carruthers, chief executive of BetonSports; and legislation passed by the US House of Representatives in July to prohibit banks and credit card companies from processing payments to offshore internet gambling sites. These are, some say, a strong series of opening punches by the US government in a fight against online gambling. But industry analysts, including Christiansen Capital Advisors, a market research firm that tracks online gambling trends, believe it will prove only a glancing blow. The charges against Carruthers have at least temporarily shut down BetonSports' business with US customers and sent shockwaves through the rest of the industry. Some BetonSports rivals, however, insist it is little more than an isolated case against a company that flaunted online sports betting and took bets over the telephone, both clearly prohibited under US law.