Peter F. Dicks (born 1942) is a London-based investment manager and venture capitalist. He was the co-founder of Abingworth PLC, one of the earlier venture capital funds in Europe. He is also the former chairman of Sportingbet PLC, one of the world's largest

sportsbook A sportsbook is a venue where a gambler can wager on various sports competitions, such as golf, football, basketball, baseball, ice hockey, soccer, horse racing, greyhound racing, boxing, and mixed martial arts. The method of betting varies wit ...

s. He is currently a committee vice-chairman with

Mercia Fund Management Mercia Asset Management (Mercia) is a British venture capital and investment firm that provides venture capital to businesses focused on innovative technologies. Mercia offers investment under the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and t ...

Career

Early in his career, Dicks was a stock broker with Joseph Sebag & Co where he met Anthony Montagu. In 1973, Dicks and Montagu left Joseph Sebag and formed Abingworth PLC in London. Abingworth was one of the earlier venture capital firms formed in Europe. Abingworth primarily invested in early-stage companies, specializing in technology start-up companies in the United States, and invested in such notable companies as

Apple Computer Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, in Silicon Valley. It is best known for its consumer electronics, software, and services. Founded in 1976 as Apple Computer Co ...

Silicon Graphics Silicon Graphics, Inc. (stylized as SiliconGraphics before 1999, later rebranded SGI, historically known as Silicon Graphics Computer Systems or SGCS) was an American high-performance computing manufacturer, producing computer hardware and soft ...

and

3COM 3Com Corporation was an American digital electronics manufacturer best known for its computer network products. The company was co-founded in 1979 by Robert Metcalfe, Howard Charney and others. Bill Krause joined as President in 1981. Metcalfe ex ...

. Dicks has served as non-executive chairman or director of numerous companies and investment funds, but it was Dicks' tenure as non-executive chairman of Sportingbet PLC that earned him global notoriety.

Arrest

On 7 September 2006 Mr Dicks was detained by U.S. Customs officials at

New York City's New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 19 ...

John F. Kennedy International Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport is a major international airport serving New York City and its metropolitan area. JFK Airport is located on the southwestern shore of Long Island, in Queens, New York City, bordering Jamaica Bay. It is ...

. He was detained under an outstanding warrant issued by the state of

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

that charged Dicks with running a gambling enterprise by computer, a crime under Louisiana law. His arrest came two months after the arrest of competitor David Carruthers, CEO of rival firm

BetonSports BetonSports plc was a British online gambling company founded by Gary Kaplan in 1995. It stopped operating in 2006 after the arrest of its CEO, David Carruthers. The company was one of the biggest players in the United States online gaming ...

. In contrast to Carruthers, who was being held on federal charges, Dicks was charged only with violating Louisiana law. Dicks was released on $50,000 bail on 9 September. Shortly thereafter he tendered his resignation as Sportingbet chairman and fought his requested extradition to Louisiana. A hearing scheduled for 28 September 2006 was postponed until the following day to allow New York court officials time to reach a decision. On 29 September, Judge Lopez announced that the warrant would not be enforced, and that Dicks was free to return to the UK.

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

governor

George Pataki George Elmer Pataki (; born June 24, 1945) is an American politician who served as the 53rd governor of New York from 1995 to 2006. He previously served in the State Legislature from 1985 to 1994, and as the mayor of Peekskill from 1981 to 1984 ...

stated that because internet gambling is not a crime in New York, the state does not have the authority to extradite Dicks to Louisiana.

Notes

External links

Sportingbet corporate site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dicks, Peter 1942 births Living people Businesspeople in the casino industry British venture capitalists

Career

Arrest

See also

Notes

External links