Hello: I thought that there was no federal law prohibiting online gambling in
the U.S. and that there were only state laws prohibiting it. But according
to this article if it is true, online gambling is federally illegal in the U.S. ???
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Online gambling company agrees to $105 million forfeiture - Mary Spicuzza
An Internet gambling company incorporated in Gibraltar has agreed to forfeit a total of $105 million, and one of its founders likely will be ordered to forfeit as much as $300 million. PartyGaming PLC, which is publicly traded on the London StockExchange, entered into a non-prosecution agreement with the Office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York on Monday. As part of the agreement, PartyGaming agreed to forfeit $105 million over a period of three years, which according to prosecutors represents the proceeds of the company's U.S. Internet gambling operations. "PartyGaming agrees that it will not file a claim with the Court or otherwise contest any civil forfeiture action and will not assist a third party in asserting any claim against the Property,"the agreement reads. "It is further understood that Party Gaming will not file or assist anyone in filing a petition for remission or mitigation with the Department of Justice concerning the Property." The Party Gaming office, which is listed on Europort Avenue in Gibraltar, could not be reached immediately for comment. The Party Gaming Web site describes it as the world's leading listed online gaming company, with sites including PartyPoker.com and PartyCasino.com. Another Web page states that "Party Gaming does not accept wagers or deposits for real money games from customers located in the US." Prosecutors say that from 1997 until October 2006, the company offered Internet gaming to U.S. players. But online real-money gambling isn't legal in the U.S., and according to prosecutors, in 2001 Party Gaming started to misrepresent customers' transactions to U.S.credit card companies and took steps to disguise payments of winnings to U.S. customers. Late last year a founder and former officer and director of Party Gaming, Anurag Dikshit pleaded guilty to using a wire communication facility for the transmission of in interstate and foreign commerce of bets and wagering information. The forfeiture allegations in that case total $300 million, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Sections 981, 982 and 28 U.S.C. Section 2461. Dikshit is scheduled to be sentenced in 2010.
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According to the article:
"But online real-money gambling isn't legal in the U.S., and according to prosecutors, in 2001 Party Gaming started to misrepresent customers' transactions to U.S.credit card companies and took steps to disguise payments of winnings to U.S. customers. Late last year a founder and former officer and director of Party Gaming, Anurag Dikshit pleaded guilty to using a wire communication facility for the transmission of in interstate and foreign commerce of bets and wagering information. The forfeiture allegations in that case total $300 million, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Sections 981, 982 and 28 U.S.C. Section 2461. Dikshit is scheduled to be sentenced in 2010."
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Not only do I feel sorry for Mr. Dikshit for having such an awful sounding
name 😀 but it is truly sad that the powers that be have restricted freedom
by ruling in this way, but does anyone have an opinion if this article is pure
propaganda or is online gambling illegal do to in the U.S. or IS IT LEGAL TO DO
IN THE U.S. AS LONG AS THE OPERATION IS OFFSHORE AND IS NOT ACTIVELY
SOLICITING PEOPLE IN THE U.S.???? This I would like to know. There must be
a difference. The real reasons may be in the second half of the first sentence
above and not in the first part which may be pure propaganda.
feedback please, 8)
Knowingly processing online gambling payments in the US is illegal, placing wagers is not on the Federal level.
Here is the best website on the issues in the US