PARTYGAMING FOUNDER PLEADS GUILTY IN INTERNET GAMBLING CASE AND AGREES TO $300 MILLION FORFEITURE

LEV L. DASSIN, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and MARK J. MERSHON, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced that ANURAG DIKSHIT—a founder and former officer and director of PartyGaming PLC, an Internet gambling business—pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge JED S. RAKOFF to charges that he used the wires to transmit in interstate and foreign commerce bets and wagering information. As alleged in the documents filed and statements made during DIKSHIT’s plea allocution in Manhattan federal court, and as set forth in DIKSHIT’s plea agreement with the Government:

From about 1997 through October 2006, PartyGaming PLC, a Gibraltar corporation, and its predecessor and affiliated corporate entities (collectively “PartyGaming”), operated an Internet gambling business which offered casino and poker games, among other games of chance, to customers who wished to gamble online. During that time a substantial majority of PartyGaming’s online gambling customers—who accounted for approximately 85 percent of PartyGaming’s revenue in 2005—were located in the United States, including the Southern District of New York. ANURAG DIKSHIT developed a proprietary software platform for PartyGaming and directed PartyGaming's computer operations from approximately 1998 through October 2006. From 1999 through October 2006, DIKSHIT was a principal shareholder of PartyGaming and, at various times, served as a PartyGaming corporate officer and director.

DIKSHIT pleaded guilty to one count of using the wires to transmit bets and wagering information in interstate commerce.DIKSHIT, 37, faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.

In addition, DIKSHIT admitted to forfeiture allegations requiring him to forfeit $300 million, and agreed with the Government to pay $100 million at the time of the signing of his plea agreement; another $100 million within 3 months of the date of his guilty plea; and the final $100 millon prior to the defendant’s sentencing or September 30, 2009, whichever is earlier. DIKSHIT has already paid the first $100 million installment of this forfeiture.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 16, 2010 before Judge RAKOFF.

Mr. DASSIN praised the investigative work of the FBI in this case.

Assistant United States Attorneys JONATHAN B. NEW, ARLO DEVLIN-BROWN, and SHARON COHEN LEVIN are in charge of the prosecution.