Poker Stars Among Top US Poker Sites Nabbed by Feds
In dramatic news that will definitely affect the US online poker industry for some time to come, the US Department of Justice announced a blanket swoop on some of the top poker sites in the country, seizing their domain names and freezing their bank accounts.
Among the eleven men indicted for bank fraud and money laundering are the founders of PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, as well as Absolute Poker.
Players trying to access PokerStars.com are met with a message by the FBI, stating that the domain has been seized and that online gambling is 'illegal'.
PokerStars has thus been forced to shut down its US operations indefinitely, and a statement issued by the site said that it is not accepting US players at this time.
All deposits have also been shut down for US players, leaving many players in a gray area.
While PokerStars' statement claimed that all US players' funds were in safe hands and set aside in a separate bank account, it has also been reported that the site is declining withdrawal requests.
If players attempt to make a withdrawal, they stand the risk of the funds being frozen by the FBI, or they can wait it out and hope that their winnings are paid out to them by the site when Poker Stars makes an official refund to US players.
While the picture certainly looks bleak for now, the future of online poker in the US is certainly not doomed.
There are still many poker rooms available to US players and options remain.
The situation is still very much up in the air and reminiscent of the first few days following the passing of the controversial Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006.
However, as the dust settles, the situation will become clearer, and millions of US players will find ways to enjoy their favorite pastime once more.
