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By Roger Blitz
Published: January 23 2008 03:20 | Last updated: January 23 2008 03:20
Peter Dicks on Tuesday returned to the helm of Sportingbet, the online gambling operator, insisting he felt no bitterness about his arrest and detention by New York police 18 months ago.
Speaking publicly about his experience for the first time, Mr Dicks described his arrest at JFK airport on a warrant from the state of Louisiana as “an unfortunate fluke”; he was treated well and had no problem with the US legal system.
“My arrest was something out of left-field, it wasn’t something anyone was expecting,” said Mr Dicks, who was on Tuesday reinstated as Sportingbet’s non-executive chairman.
Mr Dicks was one of a number of executives from Sportingbet and other companies on a long-standing warrant issued by Louisiana, where online gambling is banned.
He was held in custody for two nights in September 2006 and released on bail. His case gained international attention at a time when a US clampdown on internet gambling was coinciding with a series of arrests of online gambling executives on US soil.
Having decided it was in the best interests of himself and Sportingbet to resign as chairman, he flew back to New York the following month when a New York court blocked Louisiana’s request for his extradition and allowed him to return to the UK.
Warrants against Mr Dicks and other Sportingbet executives were dropped last March when the company and Louisiana settled. “I had a rather sharp exposure to US law, but I was treated fine, no one did anything to me,” Mr Dicks said.
“The police officers treated me very well. Once they ascertained I had a funny accent and was not a smart-arse, they inquired after me and were pleasant.”
Sportingbet went through its own turmoil: abandoning the US market and regenerating itself round Europe, but Mr Dicks said he had no qualms returning.
“I’ve never been a gambler, but I grew up in a country with a betting shop on every corner and it didn’t seem a stretch to believe the industry would go online,” he said.
“There has to be control and regulation, but it seems a perfectly legitimate industry.”
Sportingbet, like others in the sector, is awaiting signals from the US on a possible final settlement. Until then, Mr Dicks is shunning flights to the US in spite of his non-executive roles at other companies, such as Daniel Stewart, Mears, Waterline and Foresight.
“The US will sort itself out [on gambling regulation] in the fullness of time, but you have to put that to one side and move on. Investors have got their heads around that.”
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
Published: January 23 2008 03:20 | Last updated: January 23 2008 03:20
Peter Dicks on Tuesday returned to the helm of Sportingbet, the online gambling operator, insisting he felt no bitterness about his arrest and detention by New York police 18 months ago.
Speaking publicly about his experience for the first time, Mr Dicks described his arrest at JFK airport on a warrant from the state of Louisiana as “an unfortunate fluke”; he was treated well and had no problem with the US legal system.
“My arrest was something out of left-field, it wasn’t something anyone was expecting,” said Mr Dicks, who was on Tuesday reinstated as Sportingbet’s non-executive chairman.
Mr Dicks was one of a number of executives from Sportingbet and other companies on a long-standing warrant issued by Louisiana, where online gambling is banned.
He was held in custody for two nights in September 2006 and released on bail. His case gained international attention at a time when a US clampdown on internet gambling was coinciding with a series of arrests of online gambling executives on US soil.
Having decided it was in the best interests of himself and Sportingbet to resign as chairman, he flew back to New York the following month when a New York court blocked Louisiana’s request for his extradition and allowed him to return to the UK.
Warrants against Mr Dicks and other Sportingbet executives were dropped last March when the company and Louisiana settled. “I had a rather sharp exposure to US law, but I was treated fine, no one did anything to me,” Mr Dicks said.
“The police officers treated me very well. Once they ascertained I had a funny accent and was not a smart-arse, they inquired after me and were pleasant.”
Sportingbet went through its own turmoil: abandoning the US market and regenerating itself round Europe, but Mr Dicks said he had no qualms returning.
“I’ve never been a gambler, but I grew up in a country with a betting shop on every corner and it didn’t seem a stretch to believe the industry would go online,” he said.
“There has to be control and regulation, but it seems a perfectly legitimate industry.”
Sportingbet, like others in the sector, is awaiting signals from the US on a possible final settlement. Until then, Mr Dicks is shunning flights to the US in spite of his non-executive roles at other companies, such as Daniel Stewart, Mears, Waterline and Foresight.
“The US will sort itself out [on gambling regulation] in the fullness of time, but you have to put that to one side and move on. Investors have got their heads around that.”
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008