Following Black Friday of online poker, when FBI shut down the majority of PokerStars’, Full Tilt Poker’s and UB/AP’s domains, in addition to a number of fund transfer channels, US-based players were all of a sudden denied access to their money held at these rooms. Eleven days after the indictments, PokerStars was the first site to sign a deal with the Department of Justice and to start refunding its US players.
Now the greatest loser of Black Friday, Cereus Network, the rooms of which having fallen down to the bottom of the market, seems to have managed to come to an agreement with the Department, as is stated in their latest press release. Still, refunds remain withheld, due to “several legal issues:”
“Absolute Poker’s top priority has always been, and remains, the refund of account balances to its U.S. players. Unfortunately, the Company still faces several legal issues which must be navigated before funds can be paid out to US players. The Company’s US attorneys, Blank Rome LLP, continue to work diligently to resolve these issues, which is a necessary further step to facilitate the return of funds to players. Player funds, therefore, will not become immediately available for withdrawal as a result of today’s agreement with the DOJ.”
Players can only hope that it is not the lack of funds to cover the withdrawals that is behind the delay and players actually get back their bankrolls eventually.
Meanwhile, more and more pros announce their plans to move abroad. On May 10, Time published an article on the issue, having interviewed a couple of pros as well. Isaac Haxton, for example, is considering moving to Melbourne, Malta or Madrid and is likely to be accompanied by Justin Bonomo, as well as by another five of their pro friends, whose identity they kept hidden.
“Ultimately, it doesn't really matter where I end up. So long as I can get myself to a country with good Internet connections, a country that allows me to earn a living again, I'm there,” Haxton stated. Bonomo’s main problem currently is that he seems to need to break up with his girlfriend if leaving the USA, as she is reluctant to move abroad.
Now the greatest loser of Black Friday, Cereus Network, the rooms of which having fallen down to the bottom of the market, seems to have managed to come to an agreement with the Department, as is stated in their latest press release. Still, refunds remain withheld, due to “several legal issues:”
“Absolute Poker’s top priority has always been, and remains, the refund of account balances to its U.S. players. Unfortunately, the Company still faces several legal issues which must be navigated before funds can be paid out to US players. The Company’s US attorneys, Blank Rome LLP, continue to work diligently to resolve these issues, which is a necessary further step to facilitate the return of funds to players. Player funds, therefore, will not become immediately available for withdrawal as a result of today’s agreement with the DOJ.”
Players can only hope that it is not the lack of funds to cover the withdrawals that is behind the delay and players actually get back their bankrolls eventually.
Meanwhile, more and more pros announce their plans to move abroad. On May 10, Time published an article on the issue, having interviewed a couple of pros as well. Isaac Haxton, for example, is considering moving to Melbourne, Malta or Madrid and is likely to be accompanied by Justin Bonomo, as well as by another five of their pro friends, whose identity they kept hidden.
“Ultimately, it doesn't really matter where I end up. So long as I can get myself to a country with good Internet connections, a country that allows me to earn a living again, I'm there,” Haxton stated. Bonomo’s main problem currently is that he seems to need to break up with his girlfriend if leaving the USA, as she is reluctant to move abroad.
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