Online Casino Managers Arrested in Turkey
Operating an online casino may be a lucrative enterprise, but it also carries its share of risk, especially in countries that have tried to prohibit Internet wagering. Two Sportingbet employees were faced with that cold hard fact when they were detained and arrested in Turkey this week.
Sportingbet spokesmen said that, along with the two managers, several people conected to Maslin Properties had also been grabbed by authorities. Maslin was Sportingbet's local marketing partner in Turkey in the past.
The United States has been the most aggressive government at pursuing online operators, having previously arrested several officials from different online gambling sites, including Peter Dicks, chairman of Sportingbet. The U.S. has a famous lust for Calvin Ayre.
France and Israel have both also gone after individuals working for companies that provide online gambling access to their citizens.
A new Turkish law allows Turks to gamble online, but prohibits unlicensed online casinos from taking their money.
Sportingbet said the two men were middle managers on vacation, and they have not been notified as to the cause of the arrests. The company does still take bets from Turks, saying they do not believe they are in violation of the law.
More and more money is wasted by governments seeking to protect citizens from themselves, or to legislate morality. It is past time for these countries to admit their failure on both a moral and practical level, repeal the anti-online gambling statutes, and face the world of tomorrow.
