Online betting: The Revenge of Jay Cohen

I posted this recently but it didn't get much read so I re-titled it. I did time with Jay Cohen while I was incarcerated at Nellis FPC - see Zengrifter Interview (pages 2 & 27). zg

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Against All Odds
Antigua Besting U.S. in Internet Gambling Case at WTO

By Paul Blustein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 4, 2006; Page D01

Locked in a federal prison in the Nevada desert, tortured by the distant lights of the Las Vegas strip, Jay Cohen couldn't stop thinking about getting even with the government that had put him away -- and his revenge fantasy had a unique twist.

U.S. prosecutors put Cohen behind bars in 2002 for running an Internet gambling site in the Caribbean country of Antigua and Barbuda. Not long before the prison gates clanged shut, he had learned that the federal crackdown on online betting might violate global trade rules.

The United States imprisoned Jay Cohen for his gambling Web site based in Antigua. So he got Antigua and Barbuda to instigate a complaint at the World Trade Organization. "It kind of helped keep my spirits up," he said.

...continued here - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/03/AR2006080301390.html

Antigua lead counsel in WTO case Mark Mendel sits down with G911

Mendel says BetonSports management did absolutely everything wrong

Gambling911.com recently had the pleasure to sit down with Mark Mendel, lead counsel for Antigua on the Antigua vs. the United State WTO case. Mark is an esteemed lawyer with the firm of Mendel-Blumenfeld, LLP - with offices in El Paso, TX, Albuquerque, NM, and Cork, Ireland. Mark offered some interesting insight on the recent BetOnSports indictments and he shared his thoughts on the United States' current legislative position on internet gambling.

Kira Wissman of Gambling911.com reporting....

Gambling911.com: The recent indictment of BetOnSports.com no doubt has the WTO very upset. What is being done to thwart this most recent attack by the U.S.?

Mark: I doubt the WTO is upset, but what it does do is strengthen our argument that the US laws are protectionist, as the DOJ once again goes after an offshore operator rather than the horseracing sites such as YouBet.com and others that the DOJ claims are illegal.

...continued here - http://www.gambling911.com/WTO-Mark-Mendel-081406.html (Archive copy)