PartyGaming Pays Its Online Gambling Tax

from the roundabout dept

Wed, Apr 8th 2009 4:47am — Carlo Longino

Online gambling company PartyGaming has agreed to pay the US government $105 million as part of a "non-prosecution agreement" to wrap up the government's investigation of the site. The move comes after the company's founder, Anurag Dikshit, paid $300 million in ~~online gambling taxes~~ a settlement to the US government last year, meaning it's now collected about $750 million or more in "settlements" with foreign gambling companies and their executives. The government has shown little interest in prosecuting anybody, underlining the belief that it's really just taxing these companies in a very roundabout way. If it's going to do that, it remains that legalizing online gambling so it can be regulated and taxed would be a better solution.

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Filed Under: fines, online gambling

16 Comments

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Todd., 8 Apr 2009 @ 6:11am

Anurag Dikshit?
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- Anonymous Coward, 8 Apr 2009 @ 6:53am
  
  Re:
  Yeah, it can be amusing at times... I have a colleague whose name is Phani, pronounced "funny"
  
  You don't want to know what "Laura" means in Hindi...
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  - Anonymous Coward, 8 Apr 2009 @ 9:53am
    
    Re: Re:
    Yeah. He was represented by his lawyers, Mike Hock and Amanda Huggenkiss.
    
    Something tells me Bart Simpson provided the names in this case.
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Marc, 8 Apr 2009 @ 6:19am

Pronounced 'Deek'sheet'
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Marc, 8 Apr 2009 @ 6:22am

(smile)
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Apr 2009 @ 6:27am

Online Gambling Tax
Is it just me, or does this sound like "protection" money?

"Nice, business, it'd be a shame if somethin' should happen to it."
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mike42 (profile), 8 Apr 2009 @ 6:49am

But...
You can't legalize online gambling! What about the children!
(Well, someone had to say it!)
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- james, 8 Apr 2009 @ 6:55am
  
  Re: But...
  In a regulated & taxed system the kiddies are well more protected than in a illegal system with no regulator to cry to...
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Apr 2009 @ 9:00am

Yeah, because we know the regulators of banks and wall street firms are so good, right?
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Weird Harold, 8 Apr 2009 @ 1:25pm

I use to work with a guy who's name was Maboob. I am sure harold sounds just as funny in his native tongue.

Anyway, reading the story tells the full truth, that effectively all Party Gaming is trying to do is remove the potential for US action against the company, so as to remove potential liability and make the company more stable for it's investors. They have pretty much paid to buy peace.

I would say that it also makes it more likely that Mr Dikshit could travel to the US with less chance of getting arrested on arrival. This would be rather important if the company is going to push to get the US laws changed to make their company "legal".
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Wilhelm Busch, 9 Apr 2009 @ 12:37am

WoW
My word if he can pay sums like those above the online poker business must be booooming to say the least, no credit crunch there.
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Robert, 15 Apr 2009 @ 9:10pm

WTO
This is just crazy! Maybe between the WTO and the economic melt down in the US we can get these stupid laws changed
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Casino Junkie, 3 Jul 2009 @ 1:10am

im a believer on this
Casinos are pretty beneficial. It helps to elevate the drowning condition of one state because of the bigger taxes generated out from it. It also generate employment on the people.
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Gian Barrett, 15 Dec 2009 @ 4:05pm

Revenue maker
I agree with casino junkie. Online casinos generate revenues for the state. I can't understand why they are always trying to cease it's existence. A lot of people are creating their account at casinos like Gamblux gambling and other sites so I don't think people don't want it to be legalized.
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