FBI Closes For Access To Online Poker
Friday evening PokerStars, Full Tilt poker and Absolute poker was seized by the U.S. federal police, the FBI, which also has issued arrest warrants for the owners of the three sites.
Americans have probably played their last hand at PokerStars, Full Tilt poker and Absolute poker for a very long time.
Friday evening, it was through the public prosecutor in New York announced that a total of 11 people linked primarily to the three sites now being prosecuted for violation of the UIGEA legislation which illegal money transactions between banks and online gambling providers.
Shortly afterwards proved the first impact, since both PokerStars.com, FullTiltPoker.com, AbsolutePoker.com, UltimateBet.com and UB.com was shut down and replaced with a message from the U.S. federal police.
And not long after U.S. PokerStars players could neither register for tournaments, sit in a cash game or transfer money to other accounts
Among the 11 defendants, its PokerStars founder Isai Scheinberg and Ray Bitar from Full Tilt poker. The rest have until now been more or less unknown to the public:
Two of the 11 were arrested Friday (Campos and Elie), a single is expected to turn himself in, but the rest reside outside the U.S. and will now be sought through Interpol.
The 11 charged with four different conditions:
1) Conspiracy two Violate Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA)
2) Operation of Illegal Gambling Business
3) Conspiracy two Commit Bank Fraud and Wire Fraud
4) Money Laundering Conspiracy
Severe penalties ranging from five years in prison and $ 250,000 in both 1) and 2) while 3) and 4) can provide between 20 and 30 years in prison and fines up to $ 1,000,000.
The closure of the three biggest sites for U.S. poker players have obviously sent a shockwave through the American poker environment. World’s largest poker forum TwoPlusTwo.com, struck in the minutes after the publication record of over 10,000 users online simultaneously. The record is now already over 15,000 users.
The U.S. sports channel ESPN was on Friday night contact with PokerStars, Full Tilt poker and Absolute poker, but none wished to comment in relation to the matter yet.
The seven-page accusation issued by the U.S. Department of Justice can be read in full here.
Related posts:
- Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars and Absolute Poker Are Charged With Fraud And Illegal Gambling
- Arrested Con Man Lost Millions at Vegas Blackjack and Online Poker
- Iowa committee sends Internet poker bill to full Senate
- Online Gaming Sites Begin Crackdown on ‘Poker Bots’
- Poker Bots Invade Online Gambling
Short URL: http://world-community-poker.com/?p=17452
Posted by Senior Editor on Apr 16 2011. Filed under Poker legislation & Law. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
