British Intelligence Uses Online Casinos to Track Terrorists
Only a week ago, when it was reported al-Qaeda and other terrorists might be attempting to use online casinos to launder money, Online Casino Advisory senior gaming analyst Sherman Bradley opined that with proper regulation, casinos could help law enforcement uncover suspicious movement of funds. Now, according to reporting by World Net Daily, this is exactly what is happening in Great Britain.
British intelligence agency MI5 has trained teams of spies to scour Internet gambling, searching for patterns that lead to money laundering. Money trails have led agents around the world, through outlets in Japan, Pakistan, Hong Kong, and even Los Angeles.
Special encryption processes developed by al-Qaeda computer experts attempt to disguise the flow of money. The terrorists are trying to use the funding to train recruits online. But British agents are hot on their tail.
Bradley had suggested that online gambling sites, in cooperation with law enforcement, could operate to prevent money laundering in much the same matter as is done between online casinos and European sports organizations. However, as long as the industry is under a failed ban in the US, the black market of uncontrolled gaming sites grows.
Once again, from yet another angle, it can be seen that strong regulation best serves the US, its citizens, and the world. Until regulation makes partners of online casinos, rather than foes, the worries of illegal transfers and laundering of money will continue to exist.
