Online Poker Payouts Frozen by Federal Government

Online Poker Payouts Frozen by USA Federal Government

The United States federal government is apparently trying to crackdown on Internet Poker by attacking the payout system for PokerStars, FullTiltPoker, and other poker sites that accept players from the USA. Federal authorities in the state of New York attempted to freeze or seized bank accounts worth $34 million which technically belongs to 27,000 poker players that are trying to cash out. In the past, The Federal Government has tried to stop money from going into the Poker Sites by enforcing the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) which makes it illegal to transfer money to sites that offer wager by game of chance. But now the Federal Government has probably over stepped their boundaries in trying to seize funds that are actually trying to come into the USA vs. trying to go offshore.

Law Professor Nelson Rose, who is a specialist on gambling law, called the governments move a surprising and significant new effort to police wagering on the world wide web.

Its very aggressive, and I think its a gamble on the part of the prosecutors, Mr. Rose stated. He also noted that it was not clear what law would cover the seizure of money belonging to poker players, as opposed to the money of the companies involved.

When online poker players sometimes win and have the option of cashing out their winnings, just the same way as if they were in a brick and motor card room and took their chips to the cashier in exchange for money. But the online Poker Sites use Payment Processing Centers to transfer payouts from offshore banks to US banks.

The operation started last week, the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York froze or issued seizure orders for bank accounts in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Arizona held at Wells Fargo, Citibank, Goldwater Bank and Alliance Bank of Arizona.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office had no comment to make.

The accounts are controlled by Allied Systems Incorporated & Account Services, which both handle funds for the largest online pokersites to include FullTiltPoker, Poker Stars, UltimateBet and AbsolutePoker. The money belongs to the players who are in the process of getting paid or cashing out. Many players who have had checks cut will have them bounce because he funds to cover the checks will be frozen or uncollected.

Account Services, which had their account of $15,000,000 frozen in San Francisco does not accept deposits from players; however, the checks to players who are cashing out, said lawyer for the company, Jeff Ifrah. As a result, thousands of players receiving checks from the company won't be able to cash them, he said.

The seizures come after a debate over Internet gambling heated up in Washington. Last month, U.S. House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D., Mass.) introduced a bill that would attempt to legalize and regulate Internet gambling.

Post Your Comments
	The Kid From Brooklyn
	Heyyyyyyyy Da Big man back from doubleU doubleU DoubleU The Kid From Brookly Dot Com. I friend told me the other day that he played online poker and won some CASH. He said he tried to cash out and the UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT is stealing his money that he won playing a little poker. What is the hell is the world comming to? The Fricking Rat Bastards stealing from the working guy like they dont have enough money. I got news for you people seizing this money from the hard earning tax payers. Go FRICK YOURSELF!!!. Anyway.. Take a BOW.. cause this is the VOICE OF THE PEOPLE and the Big man is always , always happy to SEE YA!
	Posted on 2009-06-16 02:01:42
	WSOP 2009 Gal
	I wins a seat to the WSOP from ad on da line POHKAH and nows ah aint get resoluted. I thinking dis hole mess be stupid. I is a laid off strip poker webcam player. I used to strip on da life webcam and play poker and that is how i educate myself to play pokah. So my MacDaddy says to me - hey babe im tired of rubbing my salami in da mojo room and seeing yo stink thong gonna be soooo fine when u bust it on da holdem table in WSOP. I says I going get dem aces and push all in. I wants ma money and i wants it now. You here me Uncle Sam.
	Posted on 2009-06-15 13:20:11
	Jimmy Hoffastra
	I think its the AT in New York who has a wild hair up is You Know What. To bad he did not try in my day cause he would be laying next to me in this tailored made concrete designer clothing. Ok so maybe 35 million dollars is not that much to these poker sites and Im sure the players will get paid some how but its the thought that counts. I personally don't think its good business to try to upset a lot of americans who just want to have a little fun at home and enjoy the freedoms of being an American. It would be a terrible thing if all the Americans who gave their lives for this great country could see that americans should not be able to stay at home and play interent poker. Well they can play but they just can not collect. Everyday our freedoms are eroding away because nobody is attempting to stop it.
	Posted on 2009-06-11 12:49:15
	Jimmy Papass
	This is a terrible blow to the online poker community. You would think with all the finacial turmoil the US Government is in now Nroth Korea is wanting to pick a fight with the Free World the US government would have better things to do than to try to stop americans from receiving money. I can umderstand them wanting to stop money from leaving the USA but now they are trying to stop money from comming into the USA. Hmmm, i wonder what would the Americans do with the money they made from winning at online poker? I think many would try to go to Las Vegas and possibly play in the World Series of Poker. Well that would not help the economy because none of them would actually stay in hotels in Las Vegas because that might boost the troubled economy in Las Vegas. I am sure the Goverment does not want to set up Tents for the poker players who won seats to the 2009 WSOP. Good Job USA government in helping make sure the hotel employes in Las Vegas and casinos there dont even get a chance to get more visitors this summer. Its a sinful city and its a great plan of attack
	Posted on 2009-06-10 02:32:25
	My PokerStars Check bounced
	I won a large gauranteed tournament on PokerStars and cash out a few weeks ago. I wait a few weeks and the check comes in the mail and I have a big smile on my face because now I can take my wife to the doctor to get her jaw fixed. We can\'t afford health insurance since i got layed off 9 months ago. And now this... The Federal Goverment can kiss my big fat A$$. I give them 4 years of my life in the army and did time in the Gulf way. I had a nice job and got laid off cause of the bad economy and been playing super tight poker on PokerStars and FullTiltPoker just to make ends meet. I finally win a big tournament and now I can\'t get paid on PokerStars. At least FullTilt said they would make alternate arrangements to directy to my bank account but who knows how long that will take. All you Federal Goverment Pricks who think your going to try to stop online poker and take away the freedoms that what makes the USA better than any other country...you really think poker is gambling. Tell me how much money did you gamble away on the stock market in the past few years... Everyone of you is a big hypocrite and now.. I mean now.. we have North Korea wanting to flex their muslce and show to the world they have a nuclear buldge in their tight jeans... Hey Free World.. look at my nuclear errection. So what does the USA do about it... Hmm. They go steal money from people who won at online poker. That is where your tax dollars is going. Write your congressman people before we are all speaking some asian comunistic language.
	Posted on 2009-05-11 21:33:06
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