Poker Tips

In what would seem to be a classic case of the right arm not knowing what the left arm is doing – the Department of Justice (DoJ) has seized some $30 million worth of payouts to online poker players. Branches of four banks including Wells Fargo and Citibank have been told by the DoJ to freeze online poker payouts so that they can then seize the money.

Legal online poker soon?

This situation, at first sight, might well seem to be at odds with the recent moves on Capitol Hill to legitimize online poker and gaming in the USA. Indeed only a few days ago we learned that PartyGaming, formerly PartyPoker, had made a settlement with the DoJ with a view to recommencing trading ‘legally’ in several American States.  However, that piece of information is in itself interesting here as the checks that have been seized originated from Full Tilt and PokerStars – both of whom continued trading in the USA even after the UIGEA became law in October 2006.

The Poker Players Alliance tries to help.

The poker payouts were stopped following the intervention of the New York Southern District Assistant US Attorney who cited the checks to be “property involved in money laundering transactions and illegal gambling offenses“. The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) has taken up the case of the people affected retorting that the poker players concerned hadn’t knowingly broken any law and that the law as it stands, and as we all know, is far from clear or consistent anyway. Also, according to the PPA, the two poker websites involved insist that one way or another all of the players involved will get their money.

Who’s behind the seizure?

Hopefully Barney Frank will be taking notice of this business and will be able to exert some influence on New York to reconsider what would seem to be a rather hasty and rash decision. However, my instincts tell me that perhaps the DoJ are playing a slightly longer game on this than might at first be apparent. PartyGaming have in effect paid a $105 million fine in order to get back into online poker in the USA. You can’t help but wonder if they, PartyGaming, haven’t at least hinted to the DoJ – “well we’ve come clean, how come you’re letting Full Tilt and PokerStars just carry on regardless”?