Anurag Dikshit

Anurag Dikshit (/ˈdɪksɪt/; born 1973) is an Indian businessman who, in connection with the online poker company PartyGaming, entered a guilty plea to one count of online gambling in violation of the Federal Wire Act and received a $300 million fine.[1] He sold off the remainder of his stake in PartyGaming in January 2010,[2] after selling 23% of his stake in the company's initial public offering, and a further two-thirds of the remainder, in October 2009.[3]

Born in Dhanbad, Bihar, Dikshit graduated with a Bachelor of Technology degree in computer science and engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi in 1994. He completed schooling at De Nobili School, FRI. Following graduation, Dikshit worked as a software developer in the United States at CMC, as a systems analyst for Websci and later as a consultant for AT&T.[4]

PartyGaming

At age 26, Dikshit was asked by PartyGaming founder[5] American Ruth Parasol to write the company's betting software.

In 2000, Dikshit hired a friend from his alma mater, Vikrant Bhargava, to begin working at PartyGaming with him and others. Party Poker was launched in August 2001.

Since online gambling is illegal in the US, the company's servers and offices were based in Gibraltar; Dikshit settled there, too.[6]

In May 2006 Dikshit stepped down from PartyGaming's board of directors and took a position as head of the company's research and special projects.[7] As of December 2008 he still owned approximately 28% of the company's shares.[8]

In December 2008, Dikshit entered a guilty plea to one count of online gambling in violation of the Federal Wire Act and agreed to forfeit $300 million. "I came to believe there was a high probability it was in violation of U.S. laws", Dikshit told U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff in New York, referring to PartyGaming's activity.[9] Dikshit no longer personally owns any shares in PartyGaming, having sold his shares in January 2010.[10]

References
  1. Online Gambling Billionaire Cashes In. Forbes.com (2009-10-20). Retrieved on 2011-06-15.
  2. The Daily Telegraph, 25 January 2010 PartyGaming founder Anurag Dikshit severs ties with company after £114m share sale
  3. Nils Pratley, The Guardian, 20 October 2009, Guardian.co.uk: Dealing in poker profit
  4. Anurag Dikshit – High roller who came late to the poker party. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2011-06-15.
  5. Ruth Parasol. Bonitatrust.org. Retrieved on 2011-06-15.
  6. Balakrishnan, Angela (16 December 2008). "Anurag Dikshit: High roller who came late to the poker party". The Guardian.
  7. PartyGaming's Dikshit quits board. Forbes (2006-05-24). Retrieved on 2011-06-15.
  8. The Guardian, 17 December 2008, PartyGaming up 27% as founder pleads guilty in US court
  9. Larson, Erik. (2008-12-16) PartyGaming's Dikshit Pleads Guilty to Web Gambling. Bloomberg. Retrieved on 2011-06-15.
  10. Anurag Dikshit Sells Remaining Stake in Party Gaming. Pokernewsdaily.com (2009-10-20). Retrieved on 2011-06-15.
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