The founder of the online casino gaming group Empire Online, Noam Lanir, has been re-thinking his ambitions to acquire a fellow online gambling company, as a result of the growing legal uncertainties currently being experienced in world markets. Instead, he is preparing to use the firm's $260 million cash pile in a separate investment vehicle to protect it from the increasing threat of litigation in the US. , regarding the potential ban on online casinos.

The company has considered a number of online casino operators with a view to making an acquisition. It is understood to have come close to making an offer for online casino Bet on Sports, which has since found itself under the online casino crackdown spotlight. Former chief executive of Bet on Sports David Carruthers is among the named defendants and remains under house arrest while he prepares his defense.

Empire online said to have abandoned its acquisitive ambitions because of rising uncertainty in the US online casino world. State and federal prosecutors have in recent months launched a crackdown on unlicensed online gambling operators that target US customers. Meanwhile, the Senate majority leader Bill Frist is still seeking to push through a bill to strengthen existing anti-gambling laws.