What I don't understand is how the US government can shut down a website in countries where internet gambling is legal. And essentially keep those players from other countries from gaining access to their own money.
What I don't understand is how the US government can shut down a website in countries where internet gambling is legal. And essentially keep those players from other countries from gaining access to their own money.
From what I have read this is not just about illegal online gambling. It also has to do with money laundering, bank fraud. that might have something to do with it, but what do I know about all this
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This has been quite an afternoon for the online poker industry. The U.S. Department of Justice has seized the domain names belonging to PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, UB.com, and Absolute Poker. When visiting the latter two, a message that read, “This domain name has been seized by the FBI pursuant to an arrest warrant in rem obtained by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and issued by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.”
The founders of PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker were all charged in the action. They include Isai Scheinberg and Paul Tate of PokerStars, Ray Bitar and Nelson Burtnick of Full Tilt Poker, and Scott Tom and Brent Beckley of Absolute Poker. According to a statement released by the U.S. Department of Justice, law enforcement agencies and Interpol were in pursuit of the individuals in question.
PokerStars has officially left the U.S. market, although a refresh of its website around 4:30pm ET loaded it normally. Full Tilt Poker has not released any comment as to its future, but UB.com and Absolute Poker appear likely to stay, sources close to PocketFives.com reveal.
The charges against the site’s founders include bank fraud, money laundering, and illegal gambling offenses. Each carries a penalty of up to five years behind bars and up to $250,000 in fines.
PocketFives.com was bustling with activity throughout the afternoon, mainly in a thread in the Poker Sites forum. Several posters reported seeing error messages like, “We’re sorry, but due to government regulations, playing real money tournaments/ring games is not allowed in your area” and so headed to the forums to check for the latest.
A total of 75 bank accounts were also seized this afternoon and, as we tick closer and closer to the weekend, the Sunday Majors seem to be in doubt.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara commented in the same Department of Justice press release, "As charged, these defendants concocted an elaborate criminal fraud scheme, alternately tricking some U.S. banks and effectively bribing others to assure the continued flow of billions in illegal gambling profits.”
Bharara continued, “Moreover, as we allege, in their zeal to circumvent the gambling laws, the defendants also engaged in massive money laundering and bank fraud. Foreign firms that choose to operate in the United States are not free to flout the laws they don’t like simply because they can’t bear to be parted from their profits."
An e-mail and phone call placed to John Pappas of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) yielded a response of, “Statement coming.”
A Business Insider article revealed that indicted payment processor Daniel Tzvetkoff may be behind today’s rash of seizures. The article succinctly explains, “After a ‘secret’ meeting with prosecutors, he was suddenly out on bail. And now, his former colleagues are the ones facing serious jail time. Daniel Tzvetkoff knows the operations of these poker sites inside and out. He's the one man positioned to give these companies to the U.S. Attorneys on a silver platter. And it looks like that's exactly what he did, cooperating with the authorities to avoid his own lengthy jail sentence.”
The U.S. Department of Justice statement adds that the money destined for the various online poker sites in question was “disguised as payments to hundreds of non-existent online merchants purporting to sell merchandise such as jewelry and golf balls.”
People in parts of Canada are having trouble both playing and cashing out.
They can get other countries to seize accounts . Proceeds of Crime. They have agreements in place with all of these countries to do this.
FBI's reach is a lot longer than most people think.
They did it with the Hussein Regime in Iraq and just did it with Khadaffi Duck in Libya.
Yanks still playing on Tilt.
My 2 cents. Us Govt is way deep in debt. Pretty Much Broke, Why not go after the Online poker industry. Makes sense.
The wire and Bank Fraud + Money laundering charges span across the globe.
The Doomswitch has been activated....
Comments
From what I have read this is not just about illegal online gambling. It also has to do with money laundering, bank fraud. that might have something to do with it, but what do I know about all this
Pretty interesting time for me to get out of poker hey!^-^.
Also with wetts, f!@# online pokerz:laugh:
Just trying to withdraw and won't let me. Fulltilt
hahahaha, no I am just that good.;)
What does it say? A lot of us transferred $$$ almost instantly. Have you ever withdrawn before and what method are you trying to use?
Won't let me connect. Reading on 2+2 (I can lurk) and a lot are saying they can't make the connection. Oh well only 500 bucks plus
Are they in the US? I just tried on Tilt again, no issue...
Thanks yoda...new keyboard needed!:D
^^^ This...
Really? No problem here in Milton.. Is Hamilton now part of the US?
*****************************************************
This has been quite an afternoon for the online poker industry. The U.S. Department of Justice has seized the domain names belonging to PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, UB.com, and Absolute Poker. When visiting the latter two, a message that read, “This domain name has been seized by the FBI pursuant to an arrest warrant in rem obtained by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and issued by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.”
The founders of PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker were all charged in the action. They include Isai Scheinberg and Paul Tate of PokerStars, Ray Bitar and Nelson Burtnick of Full Tilt Poker, and Scott Tom and Brent Beckley of Absolute Poker. According to a statement released by the U.S. Department of Justice, law enforcement agencies and Interpol were in pursuit of the individuals in question.
PokerStars has officially left the U.S. market, although a refresh of its website around 4:30pm ET loaded it normally. Full Tilt Poker has not released any comment as to its future, but UB.com and Absolute Poker appear likely to stay, sources close to PocketFives.com reveal.
The charges against the site’s founders include bank fraud, money laundering, and illegal gambling offenses. Each carries a penalty of up to five years behind bars and up to $250,000 in fines.
PocketFives.com was bustling with activity throughout the afternoon, mainly in a thread in the Poker Sites forum. Several posters reported seeing error messages like, “We’re sorry, but due to government regulations, playing real money tournaments/ring games is not allowed in your area” and so headed to the forums to check for the latest.
A total of 75 bank accounts were also seized this afternoon and, as we tick closer and closer to the weekend, the Sunday Majors seem to be in doubt.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara commented in the same Department of Justice press release, "As charged, these defendants concocted an elaborate criminal fraud scheme, alternately tricking some U.S. banks and effectively bribing others to assure the continued flow of billions in illegal gambling profits.”
Bharara continued, “Moreover, as we allege, in their zeal to circumvent the gambling laws, the defendants also engaged in massive money laundering and bank fraud. Foreign firms that choose to operate in the United States are not free to flout the laws they don’t like simply because they can’t bear to be parted from their profits."
An e-mail and phone call placed to John Pappas of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) yielded a response of, “Statement coming.”
A Business Insider article revealed that indicted payment processor Daniel Tzvetkoff may be behind today’s rash of seizures. The article succinctly explains, “After a ‘secret’ meeting with prosecutors, he was suddenly out on bail. And now, his former colleagues are the ones facing serious jail time. Daniel Tzvetkoff knows the operations of these poker sites inside and out. He's the one man positioned to give these companies to the U.S. Attorneys on a silver platter. And it looks like that's exactly what he did, cooperating with the authorities to avoid his own lengthy jail sentence.”
The U.S. Department of Justice statement adds that the money destined for the various online poker sites in question was “disguised as payments to hundreds of non-existent online merchants purporting to sell merchandise such as jewelry and golf balls.”
So you're gonna live on cat food then?
They can get other countries to seize accounts . Proceeds of Crime. They have agreements in place with all of these countries to do this.
FBI's reach is a lot longer than most people think.
They did it with the Hussein Regime in Iraq and just did it with Khadaffi Duck in Libya.
Yanks still playing on Tilt.
My 2 cents. Us Govt is way deep in debt. Pretty Much Broke, Why not go after the Online poker industry. Makes sense.
The wire and Bank Fraud + Money laundering charges span across the globe.
The Doomswitch has been activated....