Full Tilt, PokerStars and UB charged with fraud and illegal gambling by FBI

RoadSweeper

Souce:

http://www.bestpokerrooms.com/news/fbi-seizes-poker-sites/

In what is turning out to be Black Friday in the poker world, the FBI has seized the domain names of the largest online poker sites operating in the United States, UB Poker, Absolute Poker, PokerStars, and Full Tilt Poker. Many areas of the world are greeted with an FBI seizure notice when logging into any of these sites homepages –the poker rooms themselves still appear to functioning fine as they are separate entities—while the DNS caches in some parts of the world have yet to be refreshed, and still show the normal website homepage.
Keep in mind that while this is a very real threat, Bodog Poker has gone through the same seizure years ago, and came out regaining their domain name.
Both Reuters and CNBC have broken the news that in addition to the seizure of the domain names, the sites have been charged with both fraud and illegal gambling. Here is the tweet from CNBC:
Three Largest Internet Poker Companies Charged With Fraud, Illegal Gambling – Pokerstars, Full Tilt Poker, & Absolute Poker – Charged
For their part Reuters has a banner across the top of the page with the news. No official story has been broken yet regarding the specifics of the case, but we promise to keep you updates as details emerge.
Update:
It has now been revealed that the FBI has indicted 11 people who are thought to be the owners of these poker sites. Each has been indicted on numerous charges. The full list of indictees is: Chad Elie, John Campos, Isai Scheinberg, Raymond Bitar, Paul Tate, scott Tom, Ryan Lang, Ira Rubin, Bradley Franzen, Nelson Burnick and Brent Beckley.
In further news reports have been emerging from the poker world that players in certain regions of the USA can no longer access the poker tables with the following messages appearing.
At the Full Tilt Poker tables a message box appeared during games stating:
“We are sorry but, due to government regulations, playing real money tournaments is not allowed in your area.”
A similar message appeared on Pokerstars saying:
“We are sorry but, due to government regulations, playing real money ring games is not allowed in your area”.

Seems like things in US are going form bad to worse.

Nodin

...they're a bit odd about that kind of thing....puritan forefathers have a long reach, in ways.

dvpower

LA Times has it
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2011/04/three-largest-online-poker-sites-indicted-and-shut-down-by-fbi.html

RichieC

How strange..

galwayrush

What were the odds on something like this happening?

markesmith

Fair play. I'm anti-gambling, good to see them implementing it. Would love to see Paddy Power taken down. It's a mug's game that breeds a destructive addiction in some people. Just my €0.02, haterz gonna hate

Hank Scorpio

Does still only affect the US roadsweeper, or is the investigation claming the games are corrupt? Sorry I`ve had a few cans but im really interested in this story

MagicMarker

I knew I wasn't really a bad poker player!!

Damn you pokerstars!!!! :mad:

RoadSweeper

Only affects the US, which is a large chunk of the whole poker industry.

MagicMarker

markesmith wrote: »

Fair play. I'm anti-gambling, good to see them implementing it. Would love to see Paddy Power taken down. It's a mug's game that breeds a destructive addiction in some people. Just my €0.02, haterz gonna hate

You obviously know sweet fúck all about poker.

I assume you're also anti-alcohol too? No? Thought not.

RichieC

dvpower wrote: »

LA Times has it
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2011/04/three-largest-online-poker-sites-indicted-and-shut-down-by-fbi.html

Even hacksaw jim f*cking Duggan weighed in there in the comments!

markesmith

MagicMarker wrote: »

You obviously know sweet fúck all about poker.

I assume you're also anti-alcohol too? No? Thought not.

I did say haterz gonna hate, MM. It's my opinion, and I'm entitled to it. I know how to play poker, but I've seen what gambling addiction does to people. I've also seen what alcohol does to people, but as it doesn't affect me in that way, then yes, it should be legal.

Let's leave it like that, I don't want to argue with you.

Will it mean Job losses in Ireland?

RichieC

markesmith wrote: »

I did say haterz gonna hate, MM. It's my opinion, and I'm entitled to it. I know how to play poker, but I've seen what gambling addiction does to people. I've also seen what alcohol does to people, but as it doesn't affect me in that way, then yes, it should be legal.

Let's leave it like that, I don't want to argue with you.

:rolleyes:

yea it's cool, mark cant handle his addiction to gambling so everyone has to suffer... but he can get pissed and not be an alcoholic so thats alright!

Paul Tergat

Deleted User wrote: »

Will it mean Job losses in Ireland?

good chance of

p_larkin99

p_larkin99 wrote: »

good chance of

That's pretty sh*t, I know alot of people working there

El Horseboxo

Gambling is bleeding great. I say that now as i've won about 80% of my last 18 bets.

markesmith

markesmith wrote: »

I did say haterz gonna hate, MM. It's my opinion, and I'm entitled to it. I know how to play poker, but I've seen what gambling addiction does to people. I've also seen what alcohol does to people, but as it doesn't affect me in that way, then yes, it should be legal.

Let's leave it like that, I don't want to argue with you.

the irony of you saying "haters gonna hate" while hating is not lost I hope.

Hank Scorpio

2+2 down?

Edit: slow as sh1t, 6000 people in nvg

lunacyfoundme

Crazy to see something like this happening in a country which prides itself on big money and excitement. Guess the Governenment dont get as big a cut from gambling as they do from guns, alcohol and tobacco. They dont ban those even though they're far more dangerous. Gambling addicts are mentally weak. Dont make us all suffer cause we like the challenge and skill in playing poker.

RichieC

lunacyfoundme wrote: »

Crazy to see something like this happening in a country which prides itself on big money and excitement. Guess the Governenment dont get as big a cut from gambling as they do from guns, alcohol and tobacco. They dont ban those even though they're far more dangerous. Gambling addicts are mentally weak. Dont make us all suffer cause we like the challenge and skill in playing poker.

The irony too is it was brought in under Bush... the party of freedom!

though support was bipartisan..

lunacyfoundme

The irony too is it was brought in under Bush

F*ing bible bashers.

whatsamsn

Its suprising to see this actually happen, but not suprising at the same time.

story goes the legal technicality around this is to host the servers of these sites on non-us soil. So US laws does not apply. Guess the FBI finally stepped in with another law or technicality.

This is quite big news.

RichieC

lunacyfoundme wrote: »

F*ing bible bashers.

Can you imagine the frothing at the mouth from the teabaggers if Obama tried to impede private companies like that?


mental country.

MagicMarker

markesmith wrote: »

I did say haterz gonna hate, MM. It's my opinion, and I'm entitled to it. I know how to play poker, but I've seen what gambling addiction does to people. I've also seen what alcohol does to people, but as it doesn't affect me in that way, then yes, it should be legal.

Let's leave it like that, I don't want to argue with you.

So what you're saying is....

Gambling causes some hurt therefore it should be illegal.
Alcohol also causes some hurt but not to you therefore it should be legal.

What. the. fúck

themadchef

RichieC wrote: »

:rolleyes:

yea it's cool, mark cant handle his addiction to gambling so everyone has to suffer... but he can get pissed and not be an alcoholic so thats alright!

Not comparing like with like Richie.

A gambler can gamble the house in a night, even the worst alco would do well to drink it.

Im a poker player, i play on line. One of the lads at a table i played with on Tri Becca a couple of years back blew 100k over a couple of months. Couldint help but get to know the poor egit. That was... 5 ish years ago? He got a IVA or what ever they call the bankruptcy thingy in England and got his life back together (after losing his wife, house, job)

He messaged me on MSN 2 mts ago to say he was a months wages in debt playing poker again. Now he's using the lastet "free up your wages" loan and depositing it straight into poker account as he cant get a credit card.

Poker players need to acknowledge that there is a huge problem out there. It's fun for some, a business for some, and HELL for others.

I agree that shutting it down is radical in the extreme but people, families need protection too.

I love my poker, i'd hate to see it happen here, but, i feel for the people drowning in debt because of it.

themadchef

nuxxx wrote: »

2+2 down?

Edit: slow as sh1t, 6000 people in nvg

No fecking wonder it's slow...

Going to have a big impact on there.

RichieC

you can drink yourself to death. regardless whether you have to stop and sleep sometimes.

themadchef

RichieC wrote: »

you can drink yourself to death. regardless whether you have to stop and sleep sometimes.

..and ive no problem with that. You wont leave your wife and kids homeless and paying back your CC's though.

Hank Scorpio

Is anyone else having problems cashing out from ftp? Pokerstars it worked fine.

MagicMarker

Not sure how credible this is...

http://www.businessinsider.com/boy-genius-online-poker-scandal-2011-4

Cuddlesworth

There were massive fears when the US enacted their recent laws which them the power to seize domain names. I can now see why a lot of people have moved to top level domains outside the control of companies located in the USA.

It looks to be the case that because gambling is illegal in some states and because people were able to play in those states the domain names were seized. This is going to open up a huge argument as its exactly what people feared when the law was enacted.

RichieC

themadchef wrote: »

..and ive no problem with that. You wont leave your wife and kids homeless and paying back your CC's though.

And I've no problem with that... equally heartless, right?

Why should everyone be punished because a few people can't control their impulses?

minidazzler

markesmith wrote: »

I did say haterz gonna hate, MM. It's my opinion, and I'm entitled to it. I know how to play poker, but I've seen what gambling addiction does to people. I've also seen what alcohol does to people, but as it doesn't affect me in that way, then yes, it should be legal.

Let's leave it like that, I don't want to argue with you.

Gambling doesn't affect you either. That said I'd rather be an alcoholic than a gambler anyday, you can only drink so much, but gambling has no end. Not to say it shouldn't be legal though, people can do as they like with their money.

Cianos

themadchef wrote: »

Not comparing like with like Richie.

A gambler can gamble the house in a night, even the worst alco would do well to drink it.

Im a poker player, i play on line. One of the lads at a table i played with on Tri Becca a couple of years back blew 100k over a couple of months. Couldint help but get to know the poor egit. That was... 5 ish years ago? He got a IVA or what ever they call the bankruptcy thingy in England and got his life back together (after losing his wife, house, job)

He messaged me on MSN 2 mts ago to say he was a months wages in debt playing poker again. Now he's using the lastet "free up your wages" loan and depositing it straight into poker account as he cant get a credit card.

Poker players need to acknowledge that there is a huge problem out there. It's fun for some, a business for some, and HELL for others.

I agree that shutting it down is radical in the extreme but people, families need protection too.

I love my poker, i'd hate to see it happen here, but, i feel for the people drowning in debt because of it.

I think for these kind of people if it's not going to be poker it's going to be horse racing or some other form of gambling. There are unfortunately those out there who fall quickly down the spiral but it's not the game that is the cause, it's the persons inclination and addictive personality.

Poker did go mainstream during the last few years so in fairiness it did introduce a lot of people to gambling as it was seen as cool and good fun etc, so in that sense it could be a 'gateway' to gambling addiction. But I'd be curious to see if those who are throwing away their lives on the poker tables wouldn't find another way to do it anyhow.

markesmith

minidazzler wrote: »

Gambling doesn't affect you either. That said I'd rather be an alcoholic than a gambler anyday, you can only drink so much, but gambling has no end. Not to say it shouldn't be legal though, people can do as they like with their money.

minidazzler, for some reason, has explained it much better than I was able to. I just don't like gambling, there's something...manipulative of the working man about it. Of course alcohol is the same.

Made a little meme to illustrate my point.

lunacyfoundme

It's fun for some, a business for some, and HELL for others.

Same as horse racing, drinking etc why not outlaw everything that a minority can control themselves over. Its like when 10 people complain about a tv show hundreds of thousands enjoy and the makers have to issue an apology and it hits the headlines.

RichieC

markesmith wrote: »

minidazzler, for some reason, has explained it much better than I was able to. I just don't like gambling, there's something...manipulative of the working man about it. Of course alcohol is the same.

you might win money or you might lose your bollocks...

themadchef

RichieC wrote: »

And I've no problem with that... equally heartless, right?

Why should everyone be punished because a few people can't control their impulses?

Complwtly heartless... i play poker remember?

Im not arguing Richie about the shut down.

I think it's mentals! Im saying, there should be some sort of protection. Not the average fish \ donks, we need them to survive. The people ploughing serious money in, people who are compelled to do because they cant stop them selves. People who feel like throwing up every night after playing.

Great poker site for anyone who wants a blow by blow on it.. http://www.irishpokerboards.com/forum/showthread.php?p=302335#post302335 Hope the mods dont mind the link.

RichieC

themadchef wrote: »

Complwtly heartless... i play poker remember?

Im not arguing Richie about the shut down.

I think it's mentals! Im saying, there should be some sort of protection. Not the average fish \ donks, we need them to survive. The people ploughing serious money in, people who are compelled to do because they cant stop them selves. People who feel like throwing up every night after playing.

Great poker site for anyone who wants a blow by blow on it.. http://www.irishpokerboards.com/forum/showthread.php?p=302335#post302335 Hope the mods dont mind the link.

Are there any serious proposals as to how to control it without impeding the freedom of more responsible players.. or folk that are alien at it and make a dam good living.

Hank Scorpio

pokerstars.com now showing that fbi statement for me

minidazzler

markesmith wrote: »

minidazzler, for some reason, has explained it much better than I was able to. I just don't like gambling, there's something...manipulative of the working man about it. Of course alcohol is the same.

Made a little meme to illustrate my point.

The reason is because I'm smarterer than the average bear. it should remain legal though. You not liking it shouldn't criminalise it!

Fart

Noooo I planned on making a modest deposit so I can play for the summer.

I'm a huge poker player, and mainly play because I really enjoy the game and whatever profits I get are a bonus. I'm shocked with this story though. :eek:

RoadSweeper

Its only US sites fart.
Plenty of non USA sites available.

Fart

RoadSweeper wrote: »

Its only US sites fart.
Plenty of non USA sites available.

What did you call me? :P

Oh yeah that's right. Thinking of giving Cake poker a lash, looks good.

amacachi

The Land of the Free.

KevIRL

Fart wrote: »

What did you call me? :P

Oh yeah that's right. Thinking of giving Cake poker a lash, looks good.

I wouldnt. Its US as well

WhatsGoingOn2

amacachi wrote: »

The Land of the Free.

..whoever told you that was your enemy..

themadchef

amacachi wrote: »

The Land of the Free.

..and the home of the Phil Hellmuth....

Shudder.

Paul Tergat

Deleted User wrote: »

That's pretty sh*t, I know alot of people working there

yeah it sucks, considering FTP have a lot of staff out in Cherrywood. Hope something is sorted and no jobs are lost

RoadSweeper

Cake is based in the US.

They are not involved, but idk what is going to happen in the future.

Stick to some European Sites.