Unibet CEO Arrest Sparks OutrageThe European Union is demanding answers after Dutch authorities arrested Unibet CEO, Petter Nylander Monday.
'It could very well be that somebody has been arrested who is innocent,' commission spokesman Oliver Drewes told reporters.
Nylander was detained last night by Dutch authorities under a European arrest warrant issued by French authorities.
But Drewes said French gaming monopoly law is not in line with EU legislation.
'There was an earlier French arrest based on the French legislation in place and that was therefore invoked by the Dutch border police,' he said.
France has until the end of October to conform with EU gaming monopoly legislation, he said, adding that he is 'quite confident that we can work this out' without taking legal action.
The arrest relates to proceedings filed in 2006 by the French state-owned lottery companies, Francaise des Jeux and horse betting monopoly PMU against Unibet, alleging breach of French laws from 1836 and 1891 protecting state-owned monopolies.
Unibet is one of the largest online gambling operators in the European market with over 1.3 million customers worldwide. The company offers a comprehensive range of online gambling products, such as sports betting, live betting, online casino, online poker, lotteries, bingo and soft games through the group's web site, www.unibet.com The customer base spans more than 150 countries.
Perhaps it is best known for the group's sponsored cycling team. The team rode on the European Continental Circuit, until the beginning of the 2007 season, when they were granted a ProTour licence.
Unibet Group plc is a company incorporated in Malta with registered number C 39017. Unibet is certified by G4, Global Gaming Guidance Group, complying with their Code of Practice in relation to responsible gambling. Unibet is a member of European Betting Association. Unibet was founded 1997 and is since June 2004, Unibet is listed on Swedish Stockholmsbörsen.
Through the acquisition of MrBookmaker.com in August 2005, Unibet has gained access to the French and the BeNeLux markets.
Unibet is no stranger to controversy. The company has been drawn into the Operación Puerto doping investigation. The cyclist Carlos Quesada was named by the Spanish authorities as a patient of Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes and was suspended by the team.
Although Quesada had been named, he has not yet been formally charged with doping, which led to the management of Unibet.com to lift its suspension of Quesada two weeks after it was imposed. Nevertheless, the team did not pay the Spanish cyclist his salary, which led to a lawsuit, finally resolved with Quesada leaving the team in exchange for a compensation.
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Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
Originally published October 23, 2007 10:53 am ET
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