Former Swedish Online Poker Player Could Owe $149 Million In Taxes
Viktor Blom may become the poster child for online poker tax evasion in Sweden.
In Sweden, online poker players that chose to play on sites outside of the European Union are hammered with a tax rate of thirty percent on their winnings. This law may lead Viktor Blom in some deep water.
Blom has played online poker under the name Isildur1. The poker pro that just signed a deal with PokerStars, played for a long time from his home in Sweden, and he made millions of dollars online.
Unfortunately, the law does not allow for loses, and each winning hand is taxed. That leaves open the possibility that the Swedish government could go after Blom for $149 million in back taxes. It is estimated that over $4 billion was played at Full Tilt Poker under the Isildur1 name.
The Swedish government is considering a crackdown on Internet poker, and if that occurs, Blom would likely be their poster child for the crackdown. If they can secure a ruling that Blom owes the large amount of back taxes, others may see that and get scared into paying as they go.
In the meantime, Blom does not even live in Sweden anymore. The poker pro has been playing out of London recently, and the Swedish Tax Authority has kept mum on whether they are planning on pursuing a case against Blom.
Blom burst on to the scene back in 2009 when he defeated some of the top names in the game at online cash games. Among the victims were Phil Ivey and Justin Bonomo.


