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Internet Gambling: Web Entrepreneur Gambles On Legality of Betting Site

October 4, 2007

A local betting Web site entrepreneur faces possible extradition to Louisiana after authorities there charged the Seattle man with running an illegal gambling operation.

Nick Jenkins said he is awaiting Gov. Chris Gregoire's decision on whether or not to sign the extradition release requested by Louisiana prosecutors, who say Jenkins' now-defunct site, Betcha.com, violated federal and state laws against Internet-based gambling.

Jenkins, whose Seattle-based startup was raided by Washington State Gambling Commission investigators in early July, said his attorneys are trying to negotiate with the Governor's Office to delay any move until his Washington state case is heard.

A status hearing on the case and possible Louisiana charges is scheduled for Wednesday morning.

"Obviously, we think this is unfair, and we're hopeful we can get this resolved," said Jenkins, 38, who faces extradition along with two other Betcha.com owners. "We think our case is a good one."

Louisiana authorities became involved in the prosecution after a state trooper there placed a small bet as part of a joint investigation into online gambling. Jenkins said the site made 70 cents on that transaction.

The trouble for Betcha.com started when the Washington Gambling Commission contacted Jenkins, a Georgetown law graduate, about his Web site and asked him to shut it down as an illegal gambling site under a new state law.

Jenkins declined, saying that Betcha.com isn't governed under the Internet ban approved by the Legislature in summer 2006.

Read the full article here.

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