Online Casinos Executives and US Law

The two, Canadians John Lefebvre, 55, and Stephen Lawrence, 46, have been released on bail of about $5 million and in exchange for their travel documents. The February 14 date means that the US government will have to press formal charges against the two and hand them to the US Court for the Southern District of New York by the due date. They are not alone to be prosecuted for their involvement with online casinos. Months ago an executive from BetOnSports has been arrested, setting the tone for the hunt by the US federal government.

The lawyer of one of the accused said that the arrests are a sign intended to demonstrate the US commitment to fight the industry. "I think they want to stress the point that they are serious about enforcing gaming laws," he said. The problem is that his client may face a prison term of up to 20 years if convicted. Meanwhile, the industry, most notably the companies with which the executives have ties, but the entire industry as well, are facing a period of uncertainty and a loss of the huge gambling market that is the United States. Since the companies are most often not based in the US, the prevalent opinion among lawyers familiar with the cases is that they stand little chance of succeeding. "It's not clear that this is a liable area of law enforcement," one lawyer said.