Three of the largest online poker sites were today closed down by the FBI. 11 people from FullTilt, PokerStars and Absolute Poker, including the owners have been charged after an indictment said that they had tricked banks into processing billions of dollars worth of illegal gambling proceeds.
Prosecutors have also file charges for money laundering and will look to claim over $3 billion back from the sites.
Two of the men have already been arrested while another is reportedly going to hand himself in. The other 8 are currently out of the United States.
5 domains names have also been taken by the FBi and when US citizens try to go on them they currently see the image above.
Read the DoJ PR on the indictment here
Read the full criminal charges here
Read the full civil complaint here
This really sucks for US affiliates. It seems tilt is using http://www.fulltilpoker.co.uk as the main site and stars is using http://www.pokerstars.eu but the cashier is not available for usa players, i wonder if the visitors are being recorded…
I do not beleive that theirs anything wrong with online gambling, it is all about personal responsible, and i don’t beleive that poker is gambling it a game of skill, millions of people enjoy the game while many earn their liverhood from. If online poker is against the law, why is it ok to gamble at racetracks and gambling casinos. it is far better to have online poker tthan for people to gamble in the back room of bars where fights and murders can occur, and i don’t beleive that the money that the fbi recovered is not recovered funds but that that stoled them from individuals who will not get paid now. Mayble this will help to government to balance their butget now.
do legitimate users receive refunds?
so wot has happened have pokerstars been robbing people and if so can we claim the money back we spent on the site surerly if they have robbed us
Why dont some pokersites make some donations to up and coming Presidential election either party sure 5 million would get the ball rolling.Poker is a game of skill unlike lottery,keno,slot machines.The United States Of America is slowly taking away Americans rights people stay home and play a 5.50 cent tourney or even lower amount games rather have people home playing poker than out to a bar or casino drinking then driving if we kept statistics on this many lives would be saved will are right to own a gun be next freedom of speech think about our disabled people soldiers who have limited movement due to medical reasons I want to find a Country that treats all its people fair not just the rich we are a nation that would take food and medical help from the old and crippled.Its a sad time to be an american citizen hope I can find a country that treats all people the same its out there we just gotta get there