RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: NPR's business news starts with a poker payout.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: Two Internet poker companies have reached a deal with federal prosecutors. Poker Stars will pay nearly $550 million to settle charges of money laundering and fraud. Poker Stars is acquiring the website "Full Tilt Poker," so part of the settlement will be used to reimburse former customers of that site. Neither company - now shut down in the U.S. - admitted any wrongdoing. And if U.S. laws change to allow online poker, they'll be back in business.
Poker Stars will pay nearly $550 million to settle charges of money laundering and fraud. It's acquiring the Full Tilt Poker website, so part of the settlement will be used to reimburse former customers of that site. Neither company — now shut down in the U.S. — admitted any wrongdoing. If U.S. laws change to allow online poker, they'll be back in business.