According to a piece in The Times, the Department of Justice has changed tactics in its negotiations with European online gambling operators.
Monday 20th October 2008
In America, a settlement between the US Department of Justice and certain European online gambling operators may be in sight just over two years after the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
Until now, negotiations with the likes of operators Sportingbet and PartyGaming had been making painfully slow progress. This was due to the stance taken by the Department of Justice that all money made before the passage of UIGEA should be repatriated along with short spells in prison for certain company officials.
However, according to a recent piece in The Times, negotiations are now concentrating on some form of payment that would not bankrupt the companies concerned. The newspaper revealed that this would not be the first time that Department of Justice has threatened an industry with serious consequences only to settle for something less draconian.
If successful, any resolution would wipe the slate clean so that individuals connected with the companies could travel to the US without fear of arrest. In addition, the firms could return to one of the world’s largest online gambling markets if UIGEA were ever repealed.
For the Government, any deals would provide some much needed cash at a time when it is bailing out banks and attempting to keep the economy from sinking further into recession.
In America, a settlement between the US Department of Justice and certain European online gambling operators may be in sight just over two years after the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
Until now, negotiations with the likes of operators Sportingbet and PartyGaming had been making painfully slow progress. This was due to the stance taken by the Department of Justice that all money made before the passage of UIGEA should be repatriated along with short spells in prison for certain company officials.
However, according to a recent piece in The Times, negotiations are now concentrating on some form of payment that would not bankrupt the companies concerned. The newspaper revealed that this would not be the first time that Department of Justice has threatened an industry with serious consequences only to settle for something less draconian.
If successful, any resolution would wipe the slate clean so that individuals connected with the companies could travel to the US without fear of arrest. In addition, the firms could return to one of the world’s largest online gambling markets if UIGEA were ever repealed.
For the Government, any deals would provide some much needed cash at a time when it is bailing out banks and attempting to keep the economy from sinking further into recession.