Abramoff Received Payments From Online Gaming Cos

[Robbien]

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES Partygaming PLC (PRTY.LN), SportingBet PLC (SBT.LN) and other online gaming companies paid millions of dollars to Washington lobbyists linked to Jack Abramoff to help them thwart U.S. anti-gambling legislation, The Financial Times reported on its Web site Thursday.

Abramoff's conviction on criminal corruption charges earlier this year - and the downfall of many of his associates - opened the door for the passage last weekend of a law that he and the companies staunchly opposed, the report said.

Lobbying records analyzed by the FT show that the companies were closely connected to Abramoff and his team - the same men whose political ties for years played a central part in helping insulate the gambling industry from laws and regulations. The demise of Abramoff and his colleagues substantially weakened the gambling companies' political hand in Washington, paving the way for the bill's passage.

SportingBet spent $2.2 million from 1998 to 2005 lobbying Washington lawmakers on issues involving online gaming, the FT reported, citing figures compiled by the Center for Public Integrity, which tracks lobbying, and other public filings.

http://www.easybourse.com/Website/dynamic/News.php?NewsID=68088&lang=fra&NewsRubrique=2

and from the MSN Money site:

Among other lobbyists, the company hired: Tony Rudy, a former aide to ex-congressman Tom DeLay and who has pleaded guilty to bribery charges in connection to the Abramoff scandal; and Neil Volz, a former congressional chief of staff who has also pleaded guilty to bribing his former boss, Congressman Bob Ney. SportingBet declined to comment.

PartyGaming, the largest online gaming website, initially declined to disclose who their lobbyists in Washington were, but when presented evidence acknowledged that the company was and is currently represented by Gibraltar-based International Interactive Alliance (IIA), a company that formerly had close ties to Mr Abramoff.

Although most of the public scrutiny of Mr Abramoff's wheeling and dealing in Washington has been centred on his work on behalf of Native Americans' gambling interests, records show that the IIA, which hired Mr Abramoff in 2003, was a lucrative client of the former lobbyist. Over just one and a half years, IIA paid Mr Abramoff's firm, Greenberg Traurig, $1.3m for Mr Abramoff's services. In all, IIA has spent at least $1.9m on its lobbying campaign, and continues to be represented by Greenberg Traurig.

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.asp?feed=FT&Date=20061005&ID=6082026

[NVMojo]

1. so this must be why FRIST pushed a bill through recently that outlawed

internet gaming!! Coverup!!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2545606&mesg_id=2545606

[skids]

2. If you haven't seen moyer's "capital crimes" on PBS yet ...

Find a way to. Well worth the watch.

[Moderator]

3. K

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. Online gaming had ties to US 'super-lobbyists'

Oct 5, 2006

PartyGaming, SportingBet and other online gaming companies paid millions of dollars to Washington lobbyists linked to Jack Abramoff, the notorious super-lobbyist, to help them thwart US anti-gambling legislation.

Mr Abramoff's highly public fall from grace and conviction on criminal corruption charges earlier this year – and the downfall of many of his associates – opened the door for the passage last weekend of a law that he and the companies staunchly opposed.

The passage by Congress of the Unlawful Gambling Enforcement Act has drawn accusations of US protectionism and the suggestion that the law was driven through by conservative Republicans.

However, lobbying records analysed by the Financial Times show that the companies were closely connected to Mr Abramoff and his team – the same men whose political ties, for years, played a central part in helping insulate the gambling industry from laws and regulations.

The demise of Mr Abramoff and his colleagues substantially weakened the gambling companies' political hand in Washington, paving the way for the bill's passage.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15147001/

[razors edge]

5. I think we saw the first

legislative correction from draining the swamp that was jack. no financial gain to oppose from the repug side leads to their impulsive decision to do what they think the fundamentalists would want. I bet it took two seconds to make that decision and they thought it would be the one to gain the most votes during an election. but did they take into account the number of on-line fundie bet-junkies they would be pissing off. they have had alot of time to sin in private, and that has been taken away.

[alittlelark]

6. Why am I not suprised....?

sigh.

[wholetruth00]

7. Paid to Republican lobbyists and supporters. The Christian right

ought to take a good look at who they are supporting and voting for.