Aussie internet whiz kid locked up in Vegas

Australian internet whiz kid Daniel Tzvetkoff has gone from a $35m Gold Coast mansion to a Las Vegas lock-up on charges related to internet gambling.

Just a few years ago Australian internet whiz kid Daniel Tzvetkoff bought a $27 million (NZ$35m) Gold Coast mansion, drove Lamborghinis and Ferraris, flew in private jets and had an estimated personal fortune of $82 million.

But in a Las Vegas courthouse early tomorrow morning he will seek something most people take for granted.

Tzvetkoff will ask for his freedom.

The 27-year-old one-time high-flyer has been locked up in the North Las Vegas Detention Center since Friday when the might of US law enforcement - the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and the US Attorney's Office - swooped on him during a business trip to the world's casino capital.

Tzvetkoff's US lawyer Mace Yampolsky admits it could be a tough fight when they make their bail application in Judge Peggy A. Leen's court, with US prosecutors so far refusing to entertain the prospect of agreeing to support Tzvetkoff's release on bail.

"Best case basis we will get the US Attorney to agree, but right now they are disinclined to agree on any release conditions," Mr Yampolsky said.

If US prosecutors get their way, Tzvetkoff may never experience freedom again with the bank fraud, money laundering and conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business charges slapped on him carrying a maximum sentence of 75 years in a US federal prison.

They accuse Tzvetkoff of laundering more than US$500 million of internet gambling revenue by disguising the transactions so banks would not know it was gambling money.

Tzvetkoff's lifestyle has taken a complete U-turn, with his flashy designer suits replaced by a prison jumpsuit.

Instead of the $27 million mansion he bought on the Gold Coast's prestigious "Millionaire's Row", he is sharing his cell in the North Las Vegas Detention Center with another inmate.

"Obviously it's certainly a change in circumstances," Mr Yampolsky said.

If there is a small positive for Tzvetkoff it is he is not being housed in Las Vegas' other prison, the Clark County Detention Center, which holds defendants involved in state crimes including murder, rape, drug dealing and violent assaults.

The North Las Vegas Detention Center usually houses inmates accused of white collar crimes.

"It's better than being in state jail," Mr Yampolsky said.

Tzvetkoff's fiancee, Nicole Crisp, is pregnant and Mr Yampolsky said Tzvetkoff was concerned about her health.

There was speculation Ms Crisp, who also has a three-year-old son with Tzvetkoff, would fly from Australia to Las Vegas for the bail hearing, but it is likely only Tzvetkoff's father will make the trip.

"She's about seven months pregnant," the lawyer said.

Asked if Tzvetkoff was concerned for Ms Crisp, Mr Yampolsky replied: "Yeah. Absolutely."

Tzvetkoff built up his fortune through the creation of the Queensland-based online payment processing company Intabill, but the company failed last year and filed for bankruptcy.

The bank fraud, money laundering and conspiracy charges were filed in New York and it is expected prosecutors will ask Judge Leen for Tzvetkoff to be moved from Nevada to the east coast to face the charges.

- AAP