Indictment of Online Poker Programmer Fails USA Litmus Test

The implications of being an online poker programmer operating in the USA, have somehow been tangled up in the web that the DoJ have woven, in its odd attempt to prosecute anyone and everyone who is in any way tied to the game. In the latest prosecutorial farce undertaken by the DoJ, and online poker programmer from Arizona was arrested, and apparently faces prison-time over sub-licensed software provided to companies operating offshore online gambling sites.

This story is huge, and has apparently opened up a hornets nest with regards prosecutorial misconduct when pursuing online poker or gambling-related cases. There were charges brought against the programmer, together with a case-file that the DoJ said would be dropped, if the programmer agreed to add “back-door” spy-software to his programmes for the Department of Justice. When he refused to cooperate the Department went ahead and indicted him on charges of aiding and abetting illegal gambling, as well as being party to money-laundering.

The company - Extension Software – is a family business that provides service exclusively to offshore companies, not excluding online poker an sports-betting firms. His product, although being developed in the USA was only sold in jurisdictions where it is completely legal to offer online poker and other forms of gambling online.

According to the news report, the US Department of Justice was specific about the fact that they were willing to breach privacy codes of virtually every other country in the world. The Department of Justice has a reputation for “flea-stomping”, and in this case the “flea” in question was not prepared to be stomped. We believe that a great deal more will come out of this story, so, do keep watching this space, while the tangled web that the DoJ has woven with Black Friday, and more, hopefully yields some karmic repercussions.