Micon Hit with Warrant
Brian Micon, the chairman of SwC Poker, has continued to receive bad news about his legal future. These changes though don’t necessarily mean things are dire for his new site, but players have to get as much information as they can so that they can make an informed and intelligent decision.
Brian Micon Hit with Warrant
According to the Las Vegas Review Journal Brian Micon has had a warrant issued for his arrest in connection with the running of and the payment processing of Seals with Clubs. The reason that this is important is not because of what happened with Seals with Clubs, but because it might make some players uneasy about the new SwC Poker (that is not an abbreviation) which has had a fairly productive launch and first few months, though specific numbers are not available for their traffic.
The Warrant and the Ramifications
The warrant for Micon sounds pretty scary, but in reality it doesn’t mean a lot as long as he stays away from the US, and countries that would potentially extradite him. Upon last report Micon was still in Antigua, which might change here soon, if it hasn’t already. Also, Micon released a YouTube video shortly after relocating to Antigua saying that he had no real desire to go back to the US, because it was a “police state” that stifles creativity.
That creates a really interesting situation, because Antigua does have a bilateral extradition agreement with the US, but there has been a fairly checkered past of Antigua actually honoring that agreement. This means that Micon is likely going to have to think about relocating again, because getting deported to the US would not be good, as the laws he is accused to breaking carry up to 10 years in jail and $50,000 in fines.
When Seals with Clubs was still in operation there was a board of directors that helped make the decisions with Micon, and Micon was more of the face of the board. Upon the launch of SwC Poker, that board ceased to exist and the exact structure of the company is not known. This in itself shouldn’t be concerning, because many sites keep that kind of thing secret, but at the same time we don’t know who else is in charge and what happens if Micon is rendered unable to continue operating the site. We by no means are saying it is something you need to be worried about, but it is important to take all the information into consideration and make your decision taking into account the risk you are okay with..
Bitcoin Network Alternatives
If you decide that you don’t want to take a risk with SwC Poker, but still want to enjoy the ease and speed of Bitcoin there are luckily a lot of alternatives for you to consider. The largest network that accepts Bitcoin is Winning Poker Network. There limits are in flux sometimes, so it’s best to look a the cashier to get the most up to date figures, but at the time of writing this they were deposits of $10 to $5,000 and withdrawals of $25 to $2,500. These amounts should make it exceptionally easy for anyone to fund an account and get your winnings.
The other major option is BetOnline which is part of the Chico Poker Network. This network is much newer in offering Bitcoin payments and it’s more likely that you haven’t made a deposit with them before, but that doesn’t mean they are a small network as they are currently sitting at 3rd in the US market. If this is true it would allow you to take advantage of their fairly competitive first deposit offer that clears at a 20% rate. You can sign up for their site by following the link here.
Summary
The situation with Brian Micon is confusing and intricate. As a result, some players are going to feel uncomfortable about keeping their bitcoin on SwC Poker. Luckily, there are a few other choices for players who want to continue to use Bitcoin as their primary deposit and withdrawal method. What do you think of the Brian Micon warrant? Does it change your mind on SwC Poker? Tell us on Twitter or Facebook.
Players can look at a full list of sites to play at in our US Poker Site Guide and cashouts at the US Poker Site Payout Guide!