Are People in the Deep South Out to Get Dicks?

Catching up on some news, the unfortunately named Peter Dicks resigned his post as Chair of Sportingbet PLC last week.

Like any high-profile executive job, Dicks' stay at Sportingbet was long and hard, but Dicks (at right) had the staying power to guide Sportingbet to record growth. Unfortunately, it seem as if Dicks' recent arrest at JFK airport on illegal online gambling charges from Louisiana has petered out his interest and ability to go any longer. Yes, the arrest has made Dicks go limp, and now he's shriveling up like a turtle retreating into its shell.

However, it's not all bad news for Dicks. As reported by ABC News, Dicks' attorney last week put in a formal request to New York Governor George Pataki "to withdraw a warrant the governor had signed that would allow Dicks' extradition to Louisiana."

Dicks' attorney argued that Dicks "has not committed any crimes [in Louisiana] or anywhere. He hasn't been in Louisiana for 20 years."

Turns out that maybe Governor Pataki likes Dicks. Maybe he likes Dicks a lot. Because last Thursday he withdrew the warrant and the restrictions on Dicks' bail that barred him from traveling outside of New York, leaving Dicks free to go back to London.

And with Dicks unleashed from containment in the U.S., more details on why Dicks was locked up in the first place are coming out. It appears that, similar to the motivation of some members in Congress who are pushing through anti-poker legislation, the apprehension of Dicks may be rooted in some good old fashioned Southern good ol' boy hypocrisy.

According to London's The Observer, Dicks' arrest may have stemmed from pressure put on Louisiana authorities by "gambling firms in the Deep South." Says the article:

"Sources close to the investigation say that evidence against Dicks is not convincing enough for him to be extradited. They believe the state's lax attitude to gambling has created a thriving local industry and that Sportingbet's success may have antagonised local firms."

Does this explain why U.S. authorities have been so hard on Dicks? We're not sure. Really, it's hard to say what may come of all this saber-rattling and sword-fighting the U.S. is doing over Dicks.

But fascists like Bob Goodlatte (at right) thrusting their anti-poker legislation on us have proved one thing: there is no limit to the hypocrisy state and federal Government officials have towards online gaming.

So let's all root that, like a dog swatting away unwanted fleas, Dicks beats off those pesky U.S. authorities who charged him with unprosecutable crimes-- and that when this whole ordeal is over, Dicks will get to relax, kick back, and flap in the breeze.