SOURCE: Reuters

(London, England) — Unibet (UNIBsdb.ST: Quote, Profile , Research) Chief Executive Petter Nylander said on Thursday he expects to be ordered back to France to answer accusations that the Swedish online gaming firm breached France's betting laws.

Nylander was detained by Dutch authorities last week after a French judge issued a European warrant for his arrest. If found guilty he faces up to three years in jail.

He was freed on 200,000 euros bail on Wednesday after being extradited to France and placed under official investigation for running an illegal lottery, taking illegal bets on horse racing and illegal advertising.

"In the coming weeks and months there will be more questions from the French," Nylander told reporters in London, adding the firm had no indication how long the whole process would take or whether it would go to court.

Unibet's legal council Ewout Keuleers told Reuters the firm would "probably" appeal the validity of the investigation, employing tactics used by Austrian rival Bwin (BWIN.VI: Quote, Profile , Research) which is facing similar charges.

"Once our French lawyers have seen the case and we have put together a framework for our defence then we will decide for sure," said Keuleers.

The French judge who issued the warrant was acting on a complaint by French lottery monopoly Francaise des Jeux and horserace-betting monopoly PMU that Unibet breached 19th-century laws protecting state-owned monopolies.

Nylander's detention drew criticism from the European Commission, which is putting pressure on France to liberalise its tightly controlled betting market.

"At first I thought it was a bad joke or a bachelor party or whatever so I was laughing and trying to crack some jokes with the policeman but he didn't really laugh," said Nylander, who lives in Britain.

"Then I said okay this is serious and they said you are going to be taken to France and showed me papers that said 2 or 3 years in prison and I thought, this like a very bad movie."

Nylander said the firm would continue to take bets from French punters despite the troubles and did not expect the issues to put off gamblers.