Why does SatoshiDice need to raise capital? Are there any reports of players winning huge payouts that they aren't able to meet with current funds? If not, then there's no need for capital.
SD isn't raising capital. It is not an issuance of new stock being sold by SD. It is stock already existing that prior to this week was part of the 90% private holding now being been sold into the open market. In other words it is the private holder of the shares being sold that is receiving the money raised, not the business.
The "private holder" could simply Erik Voorhees or an associate, it makes no difference. The question is, why are they selling their shares? Whether the stock already existed or newly "created" is a meaningless technicality. Fact is they are now selling on the open market. AFAICT, this is indistinguishable from raising capital...
You're right in that it makes no difference who of the 'private holders' is selling but my understanding is that there's a world of difference between private holdings being sold (to another private investor or to the public) and the business raising money by issuing new stock. The latter increases the business's capital by creating more stock. If the new capital brings in enough new revenue then profit as a percentage of capital will remain the same therefore the dividend will remain unchanged.
But for this to happen the new capital would need to be spent on marketing or something to increase turnover sufficiently to keep the dividend the same. So 'just' issuing new stock and increasing capital with no action to utilise the additional capital would result in a reduced dividend per share and have a consequent on share value. This is not by any stretch of the imagination the same as selling privately held stock.
As for why Erik or associate is selling why does anyone sell shares? I don't care as long as it is not diluting existing stock - which it isn't - even though there is an impact on price for the time being.
[tinfoil hat on]
The other red flag is that it would be so easy for Mr. Voorhees to play his own game thereby creating fraudulent revenues in the blockchain. He would simply lose/win against himself, there is no risk and the only cost would be the block transaction fees. I don't know if this has been suggested elsewhere, but its the very likely that this is happening. Its the rule of thumb that companies starting gaming services (or any social activities, eg dating sites) simulate activity, simulate users, so the service or site doesn't appear dead. Real users see supposed "people" playing satoshidice on blockchain.info, it makes them think about playing too. How much of that is just simulated play with the service's own funds, and how much is real people risking actual coin? I bet that most is just simulated.
This is virtually identical to what EskimoBob wrote on another thread to which evoorhees responded:
EskimoBob - I kinda felt like you were just spreading FUD, but I actually think you are legitimately concerned/skeptical, and that is the correct position to take. Everyone in Bitcoinland should be highly skeptical, and very careful. I don't want to fault you for it. You don't know me, and so I could just as easily be a scammer on teh interwebz. Your points are fine.
I'm not sure how to address them, other than to just keep working and building so that's what I'll do.
If you think S.DICE shares are a good deal, buy some. If not, don't buy them. I would rather people stay skeptical and avoid BTC equity listings entirely than lose their money to overly-speculative ventures and scam operations. It is through this period of trial by fire that we'll find who the virtuous people are, and I'd have it no other way.
I will tell you straightforward, that bets on SD are never manipulated in any way to make things look rosy. I'm not sure how to prove that to you, other than to just show you over time that it's true.
I would ask, however, that you try to avoid unsubstantiated claims. If you have a concern, please talk to me about it. I'm very public with who I am and what I do, and am reachable most of the day on Skype (account: evoorhees).
We'll let markets work, and the rest will be shown in time.