FULL TILT site completely shut down...license suspended

June 29, 2011 - 11:01am

By Shari Geller and Lou Krieger

If you thought things could not get worse for Full Tilt Poker and those who play on the site, you were wrong. The Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC). has suspended Full Tilt?s licenses, shutting down the poker room?s operations immediately and leaving players to wonder if the site will ever reopen and their money be returned.

The AGCC issued this statement about the suspension: ?The decision to suspend these licenses follows a special investigation prompted by the indictments unsealed by US Attorney General?s Office in the Southern District of New York on 15th April 2011, during which grounds were found to indicate that these licensees and their business associates were operating contrary to Alderney legislation."

As soon as the suspension went into effect, real-money play on the site was halted and its servers were shut down. Players who were on the site at the time reported being booted off in the middle of their games. During this suspension, Full Tilt will not register any new customers, accept deposits from existing customers, allow withdrawals from existing customers, or permit any play on the site.

The suspension notices were sent by the AGCC to Vantage Ltd, Oxalic Ltd, Filco Ltd and Orinic Ltd, collectively trading as Full Tilt Poker, after a special investigation into Full Tilt?s operations, following ?Black Friday.? The suspension will remain in effect, and Full Tilt will remain shut down, pending the outcome of a July 26 hearing in London into the AGCC?s decision to suspend its licenses.

Andre Wilsenach, executive director of the AGCC, said in a written statement: ?The decision to suspend the eGambling licence was in the public interest and, because of the seriousness and urgency of the matter, it required that immediate action be taken ahead of the regulatory hearing.?

Following word of Full Tilt's suspension of operations, PokerStars issued its own statement to allay its customers' concerns. "In light of today?s news that Alderney Gambling Control Commission has suspended Full Tilt Poker?s license, PokerStars wishes to assure our customers that their funds are completely safe and that our operations are completely unaffected. The Isle of Man Gaming Commission today re-affirmed that PokerStars? worldwide licensing is intact and that our operations are in full compliance with all of its requirements. PokerStars? online operations continue as normal and all funds in players? accounts are safe and available for withdrawal as usual with no delays."

Just yesterday, rumors were circulating that Full Tilt?s financial woes might be solved by an influx of money from Jack Binion. But with the news of the licensing suspension, it is unlikely that he or any investor will want to gamble on Full Tilt?s future.
 

JAKEPEAVY21

EOG Dedicated
Re: FULL TILT site completely shut down...license suspended

who gives a shit? we couldn't play there anyways
 
Re: FULL TILT site completely shut down...license suspended

It just means that the currently operating poker sites are going to have a new influx of players from the rest of the world.

When I play on the BM, 5D, TP, Doyles, DSI network, I notice that the majority of players signed up after 4/15/11.

Those are the American players who were currently playing on FullTilt, PokerStars & Absolute Poker.

Now, with the world-wide FullTilt site shut-down, it will bring another influx of players.
 

winkyduck

TYVM Morgan William!!!
Re: FULL TILT site completely shut down...license suspended

Looks like my $35-ish and 1,000+ FTP points are GONE

Bummer but I know many others are far worse off than I am

If the Gov't would just pull their heads out of their asses and LEGALIZE this and TAX IT - they could make soooooooo much money.........
 

JAKEPEAVY21

EOG Dedicated
Re: FULL TILT site completely shut down...license suspended

Looks like my $35-ish and 1,000+ FTP points are GONE

Bummer but I know many others are far worse off than I am

If the Gov't would just pull their heads out of their asses and LEGALIZE this and TAX IT - they could make soooooooo much money.........

online poker and weed legalization would be a step in the right direction..too bad the Gov't is too stupid to do either, both would be cash cows
 

winkyduck

TYVM Morgan William!!!
Re: FULL TILT site completely shut down...license suspended

Wonder if this makes Clonie Gowen smile from ear-to-ear or just the opposite
 
Re: FULL TILT site completely shut down...license suspended

If the Gov't would just pull their heads out of their asses and LEGALIZE this and TAX IT - they could make soooooooo much money.........

It is a no-brainer. The politicians should be all over it, since they are trying to come up with new taxes to bail the government out.
 

stargazer

EOG Member
Re: FULL TILT site completely shut down...license suspended

I played on full tilt for years and it took me a long time to realize how corrupt they were. I have no doubt they were running one of the biggest online scams. I've been playing serious poker for about 10 years and never have I seen such a blatantly rigged game. They deserve everything they get and I hope howard lederer and the rest of those phonies rot in jail, which i'm sure they won't. I've dreamed of this day for a long time I hope they are never allowed to operate again. Now that these frauds are busted let's hope we can get a fair and regulated online poker site operated here in the united states. Now all that's left is to bust jokerstars down to their greedy corrupt core.
 

BulDawg

EOG Enthusiast
Re: FULL TILT site completely shut down...license suspended

i suspected this gonna happen when they stopped MB withdrawals w/o any explaintations!! Im happy that i got my money via bank transfer, just left about $15 to play sum forum tourneys, so im not so screwed, i hope this sh`t will be fixed soon and they will keep walking again:+signs8-a
 

slyone66

EOG Master
Re: FULL TILT site completely shut down...license suspended

here's an email i got today about FullTilt being sold. so maybe we will get to play there again....

According to Los Angeles Times, Full Tilt's parent company Pocket Kings Ltd yesterday signed a contract with a group of unknown European investors for the majority of Pocket Kings' shares.
Two days after Full Tilt Poker lost it's operating license and closed down its poker client, it now seems that good news for the American poker site, and not least for its customers, is on its way.

Despite previous rumours saying just a few days ago that the American billionaire and casino owner Jack Binion was to invest in Full Tilt’s Irish parent company Pocket Kings Ltd, it now appears that a helping hand is instead coming from the other side of the Atlantic.

The respected newspaper Los Angeles Times today reports that Pocket Kings Ltd yesterday sold a majority of it shares to a group of unknown European investors.

If this turns out to be the case, chances are that Full Tilt will be back in action within long and, for many most importantly, will have the needed funds to pay back the roughly $150,000 million to American customers.

Attorneys close to Full Tilt say that the deal, reached on Thursday, is part of broader negotiations to clear up the poker site's legal problems with Alderney and U.S. prosecutors.

Even Phil Ivey, who sued Full Tilt Poker and failed to turn up at the running WSOP due to the missing payouts, has now according to his attorney David Chesnoff withdrawn his lawsuit.

"Mr. Ivey intends to dismiss his lawsuit as he believes Full Tilt is taking steps to see that the players are paid," Chesnoff said yesterday.

It has even been rumored that Ivey will participate in the WSOP Players Championship and Main Event starting out within a couple of days. This saying has however not been confirmed by Ivey himself.
 
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