'Net giants settle online gambling claims

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Microsoft, Yahoo! and Google and the U.S. Justice Department settled claims that the Internet giants promoted illegal gambling, the department said Wednesday.

The total amount of the settlements is $31.5 million, the department said in a release. The settlements resolve claims that all three companies were paid by online gambling businesses for advertising Internet gambling between 1997 and June 2007.

The Microsoft settlement is comprised of $4.5 million going to the federal government and $7.5 million to the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Microsoft also agreed to provide a three-year, $9 million online, public service campaign focused online gambling enterprises being illegal under U.S. law.

The Yahoo! settlement is $7.5 million. The company forfeited $3 million to the U.S. government and agreed to provide $4.5 million worth of online advertising for a public service campaign.

The Google settlement is $3 million.

"These sums add to the over $40 million in forfeitures and back taxes this office has already recovered in recent years from operators of these remote-control illegal gambling enterprises," said U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway, in Missouri.