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Party Poker Founder Pleads Guilty in US Court
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Author: Renee
December 18 - In a dramatic twist of events, the founder of one of the online gambling industry's biggest companies, PartyGaming, has pleaded guilty in a US court of law to charges brought against him.
Anurag Dikshit, who was a former officer and director of PartyGaming Plc, and who was responsible for building the online poker software used by Party Poker, even though he had never played poker before, pleaded guilty in front of Judge Jed Rakoff that he used the wires to transmit bets interstate and international wagers and betting information, an act that is forbidden by US law.
The Wire Act was set in place before the controversial Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act which essentially forced PartyGaming out of the US market in 2006 and caused it to lose large parts of its business. PartyGaming is still struggling to reach its former glory in the gambling industry after its departure from the US market.
The FBI, which has been investigating the case against Dikshit for some time now, said that a plea agreement had been reached.
It was charged that between 1997 and 2006, PartyGaming operated a successful online gambling business that incorporated casino games, poker and others. At the time, around 85% of the company's customers were residents of the United States. According to the courts, Dikshit has pleaded guilty to one count of contravening the Wire Act and could spend up to 2 years in prison and face a fine of up to $250,000 for the crime.
In addition, Dikshit will need to pay $300 million under the terms of forfeiture charges. The first million has already been paid to the government, the second will be paid within three months and the final installment before sentencing next year.
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