I don't see him getting 10 years. Recall that Chad Elie only got 5 months for all of his payment processing for Full Tilt and Stars. Yes, that was a federal case and not Nevada Gaming (who is probably nastier and more likely to want to make an example of someone), but still an example of the huge gap between potential sentencing and actual sentencing.

At the same time, I doubt they just let him skate away with zero jail time and a moderate fine.

I could see a plea deal going something like this:

- Give up all money he earned from Seals

- Shut down Swcpoker

- 5 years probation

- Agreement not to own, work for, or represent any form of online gambling website, including those involving bitcoin

- Return to US immediatley and serve 6 months in state prison


The problem with the above is that it essentially shuts down (for good) the one thing that was earning a lot of money for Micon.

So I don't see him being willing to give that up.

He already thought about that and made that decision on February 11, when he left the country and started swcpoker. He was very aware that doing so would probably cause further harm to his rapidly worsening legal situation, but he chose that harm over giving up his one real form of income.

Or, to put it bluntly, he looked at himself in the mirror and said, "If I shut down Seals and quit running bitcoin poker sites for good, what the fuck am I gonna do for money?"