PokerStars, Full Tilt, Absolute Poker Sites Seized by FBI [UPDATE]

Owners charged with fraud

By Josh Wolford · April 21, 2011 · 111 Comments

UPDATE: Following Friday’s online poker crackdown, some dubbed it the “Black Friday” of poker. The poker world reacted on Twitter with all kinds of comments – serious, sarcastic and everything in between.

Reuters and CNBC have just reported that top online poker sites Pokerstars.com, Fulltiltpoker.com and Absolutepoker.com have been seized by the FBI and their owners, a total of 11 people have been charged.

The charges, according to Reuters were filed in Manhattan by federal prosecutors and are for violation of internet anti-gambling laws as well as fraud by “tricking regulators and banks into processing billions of dollars in illegal internet gambling proceeds.”

@Reuters
Reuters Top NewsInternet gambling sites Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker and PokerStars owners charged with fraud http://t.co/KqkugHe 1 hour ago via web · powered by @socialditto

@CNBC
CNBCThree Largest Internet Poker Companies Charged With Fraud, Illegal Gambling – Pokerstars, Full Tilt Poker, & Absolute Poker – Charged 2 hours ago via Seesmic Desktop · powered by @socialditto

Going to one of these sites will yield this warning:

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There are 111 Comments. Add Yours.

Weight Loss Study
April 15, 2011 at 4:09 pm
Reply

It was bound to happen. It was just a matter of time.
- ZEEZEE
  April 16, 2011 at 10:04 am
  Reply
  
  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Poker-Sites-seized-by-Government-Make-a-stand-Alliance/178911375492872?sk=wall
- PokerPlayer
  April 16, 2011 at 8:55 pm
  Reply
  
  Support the Poker Players Alliance!!!! Sure criminals belong in jail and poker players belong on the felt(Virtual or live)!!!!
- POKER FOOL
  April 20, 2011 at 3:53 pm
  Reply
  
  BIG GOVERNMENT CASH GRAB!!
screw obama
April 15, 2011 at 4:32 pm
Reply

Those fukkers better send me my money thats in my account.
- joan
  April 15, 2011 at 6:03 pm
  Reply
  
  they probibly wont they are a bunch of cheaters that is probible why the FBI gottem cause they have been allowing cheat programs and everything else
  - Branden
    April 15, 2011 at 6:45 pm
    Reply
    
    All the bank accounts were Siezed I am Sure while you try to cash-out it will allow you to but dont hold your hand on ure rump.
    
    http://www.justice.gov/usao/nys/pressreleases/April11/scheinbergetalindictmentpr.pdf
  - PokerPlayer
    April 16, 2011 at 8:58 pm
    Reply
    
    Sure criminals belong in jail and poker players belong on the felt(Virtual or Live)!!!! Support the Poker Players Alliance!!!!
- Truthsayer
  April 15, 2011 at 11:48 pm
  Reply
  
  You might want to rethink that statement… Tax Evasion is a Federal Crime as well… Did you pay taxes on your Winnings?
  - rj
    April 17, 2011 at 8:37 pm
    Reply
    
    I am just so glad to live in the usa where I am free. So unlike the rest of the world who can play as much poker as they want.
    - Shane T
      April 18, 2011 at 11:41 am
      Reply
      
      What the hell does that even mean?? Your comment makes no sense and has NOTHING even remotely related to the topic. Classic American spouting off about nothing intelligent whatsoever.. where you are “free”.. without a job or healthcare..?
      - Bill
        April 20, 2011 at 5:18 am
        
        It’s called sarcasm, dude.
  - Joan
    April 18, 2011 at 1:36 pm
    Reply
    
    I doubt anyone actually won. I know I never did.
M. Vanderpool
April 15, 2011 at 4:34 pm
Reply

Um…just went to the sites… don’t see that image? As for your money… someone at the FBI just bought his wife a mink coat…
joan
April 15, 2011 at 6:02 pm
Reply

hahahahah serves them write the cheaters fulltilt allows people to use cheat programs
Reality
April 15, 2011 at 9:52 pm
Reply

really….the government is shutting them down because they cannot tax the earning. It is not a fraud issue but a no revenue source issue. The gov should stand back and manage their money (oh almost forgot, our money) better and stay the hell out of the private sector. and please I do not want to hear anything about morality from washington.
- Truthsayer
  April 15, 2011 at 11:54 pm
  Reply
  
  The Government is Shutting them down for a few reasons:
  
  1)Criminal Groups Lauder Money through this Shadow Financial Network
  
  2)Billions of dollars are flowing out of the American Economy (in a time of Economic Crisis I might add) into Overseas Shadowy Accounts
  
  3)Many of the American Players are committing Tax Evasion and not reporting or paying Taxes on their winnings
  
  You can try and spin it any way you want.
  Fact is they are using Bank Fraud to Facilitate Fraudulent Transactions
  under Federal Law and in the process shielding Thousands if not Hundreds
  of thousands of American Tax Evaders… Not to mention the Criminal and
  Terrorist Groups that almost certainly use these Sites to Launder and
  Transfer Money across the Globe. Stop trying to make excuses for Criminals. And in the end that is what the Players that are not paying taxes and who are also violating American Law by playing to begin with..
  And the Companies that are practicing Fraudulent Banking Practices to
  enable the Players.
  - John Q Public
    April 16, 2011 at 12:09 am
    Reply
    
    I wonder if the founding fathers of our great country objected to paying taxes on their winnings? Wait a minute– they did! So somehow freedom loving Americans who like to play and risk their own hard earned money (that they already paid taxes on, btw) in their own homes are un-American and criminals?
    
    Someone please explain this one to me….. Oh yeah, and anytime we want to stop something, we just say that a) criminals are using it to launder money, b) terrorists are using it to attack us, or c) they must not be paying taxes…. Lets all cut the B.S. and start re-learning what it means to be free.
    - BlahBlah
      April 16, 2011 at 1:54 am
      Reply
      
      #1. Internet gambling wasn’t illegal til 2006. Then signed into law.
      #2. It actually doesn’t cover poker, just money laundering and slot, roulette games of chance not games of skill.
      #3. If the Bush admin hadn’t signed the law maybe our country would have had taxes from those sites, gee that would have been too bad we could have gotten the taxes on those sites. But instead we forced the operators to operate overseas as we have done with what.. oh alot of American jobs.
      #4. It is MY home not big brothers yet… I should be able to live my life in my way in the home that, oh yeah I worked hard for and I paid for.
      But I am sure all the “do-gooders” will take even my rights to do as I wish in my home, with my money, in my way.
      Go America
      - im_wheelin
        April 17, 2011 at 8:01 pm
        
        amen brother.
    - ur mom
      April 16, 2011 at 1:56 am
      Reply
      
      thank you
    - jbrooke
      April 17, 2011 at 12:00 am
      Reply
      
      amen to that we pay enough taxes on our earnings and then when we spend our money as well. At the rate they are going we will have no freedoms or money left.
    - apophys
      April 18, 2011 at 9:31 am
      Reply
      
      All monies are seized. You will not get your money back. And they are basically saying you are lucky you don’t get arrested too
  - ur mom
    April 16, 2011 at 2:00 am
    Reply
    
    man i really cant stand people like you. Of course, we’re all criminals who play online…and we all wanna support the terrorists…totally…ur a freakin idiot
    - ur mom
      April 16, 2011 at 2:01 am
      Reply
      
      meant to truthsayer
    - vegas phil
      April 16, 2011 at 8:41 pm
      Reply
      
      i would rather think i just played poorly/although i do alot
      better at live events/id like 2 know more about the cheating??
    - Tom
      April 17, 2011 at 12:03 am
      Reply
      
      Let me see if I can get this right:
      1) It’s legal to stand in front of polling places with billy clubs to stop whites from voting.
      2) Terrorists captured on a battlefield should have the same rights as US Citizens
      3) Illegal immigration poses no problems to us so those laws do not need to be enforced. Anyone demanding compliance with federal immigration laws is also a criminal.
      4) Intimidation of elected officials by union thugs is OK.
      I finally understand how recreational poker players at Pokerstars pose such a danger to the nation. It’s great to be an American where we have a justice Department that is always looking out for us.
  - robert ashmead
    April 16, 2011 at 2:38 am
    Reply
    
    i report my online winnings every year im not awinning player every year but any funds i cashed out i reported anyone that did not the irs should go after those individuals not the institution and online porker is not illegal couse if they are not based in the usa then the usa has NO rights to regulate them and the only reason funds are leaveing the usa is couse the lobbiest for the casinoes in las vegas paid millions of dollars to the money whores in washington you know the ones you voted for to buy votes to get laws made couse they can not compeate with online casinoes who are always a single click away so why would anyone pay money to spend the gas or buy a plane ticket to fly to there billion dollar casinoes and play when players can from the comfort of there home loose there life saveings with out the hassle of ever leaving there home
    - dochill
      April 17, 2011 at 11:12 am
      Reply
      
      I agree with you about the casinos and the government some of the casinos tried online poker but i dont think it worked out for them i have lost about 1500 dollars in the last two yrs at pokerstars it was much easier losing at my home than driving aways to sometimes lose live at the casinos at least i new for a fact that no cheating was going on at the casinos but i have my doubts about online poker anyways they have siezed accounts of the people that have made billions. if the govenment wants to stop us from playing for money online ok but i would appreciate if they would send me a check for yhe 1500 that i have spent online if it was against the law and im not able to try to break even then i feel they should have stoped it in the begining they new right away what was going on when these services started this they could have saved us all alot of money and all of us from writing things like this about our cheating government that are pissed that there are people out there that can cheat us out of money like they do i think we all should file law suits against the government and the online poker sites for the return of all our moneys regardless if you ever got a winng check back from the sites thank you for reading this
  - joe
    April 16, 2011 at 6:15 pm
    Reply
    
    well if they shut it down for tax reasons as u say they should go after all the strippers in the world who dont pay taxes on thier money fuck em
    - easynab
      April 17, 2011 at 8:21 pm
      Reply
      
      everyone in the world knows waiters,and waistress,dont even report 25 percent of their tips, thats billons our government loses on taxes, GO get em F. B. I. . soon their be no sex on sundays. no spending any extra money on anything i enjoy. wake up AMERICA. fachist at the door. marxism around the corner.DEMOCRACY ,rest in peace
  - PokerPlayer
    April 16, 2011 at 9:00 pm
    Reply
    
    Support the Poker Players Alliance!!!! Sure criminals belong in jail and poker players belong on the felt(Virtual or live)!!!! Support the Poker Players Alliance!!!
  - rick
    April 16, 2011 at 11:47 pm
    Reply
    
    u are full of it its just another way for big brother to regulate what u do they have used the patriot act to their advatage its rediculious
Scott
April 16, 2011 at 1:04 am
Reply

It’s a good thing they are shutting this down. I played online for a long time for money. I won and lost, but ultimately lost a lot of money. I don’t attribute my entire losses to bad play either. I was scammed and let it go on even knowing it for too long because it was an up and down battle. The methods were very effective at getting your money. I knew there were so many methods of cheating and identified many. Full Tilt Poker even refunded money to me and explained that some of the tables I was playing on were identified or marked with cheating players. I regret playing a single hand for money with these online sites. I understand the game and win in live situations, but this was just too easy to get into. No travel involved and you could play multiple tables at a time. Anyway… I’m glad they are working towards putting these criminal away. I hope they do a lot of prison time and are fine the maximum possible.
- BlahBlah
  April 16, 2011 at 1:57 am
  Reply
  
  As for the hackers and cheaters IF this country had regulated the sites intead of forced them to operate in other countries, you wouldn’t have seen as much of it.
- barbara.tacadina@sbcglobal.net
  April 16, 2011 at 1:58 am
  Reply
  
  I think the feds dont want people to sit at home enjoying a poker game,
  they would rather have you go play at a card room or go to vegas. How much are the card rooms and casinos involved with the feds taking a harmless card game away from the people. Take take take thats all they do..high hitler I still will play for play money and they can keep the tickets and few dollars I won from free money tourneys.
  - Adolf Hitler
    April 24, 2011 at 11:57 pm
    Reply
    
    less poker will mean you can elevate your your 1st grade education …. Heil Hitler. He wanted to be hailed, he wasn’t trying score crack.
- John Birch
  April 26, 2011 at 11:09 am
  Reply
  
  Drivel. The economy of the US is collapsing because of fools in Washington. I have a right to use my money as I see fit in this formerly free country. They can call it criminal all they want, that doesn’t make it so. BTW the crook from the US Justice dept appears to be a Muslim, I suspect his religion is causing this obscenity in the 1st place, he belongs in Prison !
david
April 16, 2011 at 1:20 am
Reply

come stand as a usa poker player and player every day for free and win cash,,,,,,, http://www.bluffspokerclub.com
sileye
April 16, 2011 at 2:23 am
Reply

magic612 on youtube has been onto these criminals for years, this is just the tip of the iceberb.
- clayton
  April 16, 2011 at 3:50 am
  Reply
  
  spot on
  - dwnie
    April 17, 2011 at 12:28 pm
    Reply
    
    I have played on FTP for play money more then 3 years…………our good GOVERMENT cant keeps its hands out of anything.next we’ll be told what we can and can not EAT, DRINK. WEAR…..what ever they fEEl suited for them ……………IM SICK AND TIRED……..good luck http://FTP.. I WISH YOU MY BEST …………
  - poker playa
    April 18, 2011 at 4:43 pm
    Reply
    
    if you claim your winnings u can also like the rich do. right off ur loses for all u upities worrying about it.
  - HARRY RAMSKI
    April 18, 2011 at 5:41 pm
    Reply
    
    I WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
clayton
April 16, 2011 at 3:42 am
Reply

why
- clayton
  April 16, 2011 at 3:47 am
  Reply
  
  these sites are cheaters. bad beats or determined outcome
  - John Birch
    April 26, 2011 at 11:10 am
    Reply
    
    Bullshi%t you are just a terrible player.
Allin Entrepreneur
April 16, 2011 at 4:04 am
Reply

Alot of people just lost their money and income, its a tought day for many. It opens up for new business oppertunities and as a gambling affiliate myself, there is nothing else to do than adjust and make the best of it. But i really feel for many of my US friends who basicly lost all their income yesterday.
- realityC
  April 16, 2011 at 7:43 pm
  Reply
  
  Such moronic remarks on here. The government wants its piece plain and simple. They get huge chunks from Nevada and every Indian casino in the country and they figure every dollar that is spent on an overseas poker site is one less taxable dollar that didnt go to one of the casinos they regulate. Its all about greed. For those idiots saying talking about not reporting taxes, you only need to report amounts won over 1,199 at any given time. Its their money, they already freakin earned it and you have a problem with how they spend it or if it gets taxed again? Get a life you are part of the problem sticking up for a crooked greedy government. And finally to the multitudes who say they are cheating, well I guess those are the ones who lost their money and had to blame someone. I would much rather trust FTP software and put it in the hands of dirty Uncle Sam!
  - sixmilecross
    April 18, 2011 at 8:25 pm
    Reply
    
    which is why they won’t legalize marijuana. I am 54 years old and don’t smoke it myself, but know a lot of people who do. the federal government can’t regulate it as long as people can grow it in their house. same principle.
- Mike
  April 16, 2011 at 8:09 pm
  Reply
  
  OK, you all sound really smart and all. I just want to play poker.
- PokerPlayer
  April 16, 2011 at 9:07 pm
  Reply
  
  Sure criminals belong in jail and poker players belong on the felt(Virtual or live)!!!! Support the Pokers Players Alliance!!
RANDY
April 16, 2011 at 5:56 am
Reply

They deserve what they get..The site always seemed alittle fishy to me and the other day i got my proof. i was on a table and playing and talking to a guy from Georgia. And then the guy started telling me the cards before they were turned over and also the 2 hole cards of 2 people .. And was right!!!!!!!!!!!.. its a crooked site good ridence
- realityC
  April 16, 2011 at 7:45 pm
  Reply
  
  Righhhhhhttttttt
- John Birch
  April 26, 2011 at 11:12 am
  Reply
  
  Bullshi$t.
rob
April 16, 2011 at 8:10 am
Reply

Jeez, I’m glad I never decided to get into online poker!
susan
April 16, 2011 at 8:46 am
Reply

My bank stopped payment on all pending transactions. I only made a few but never made a cent.
- ann
  April 16, 2011 at 6:45 pm
  Reply
  
  Susan, hi. When did you check on your wire transfer today. I have money coming in and I am a little worried please let me know. And did you play on pokerstars????
pcynic pokerstars
April 16, 2011 at 8:56 am
Reply

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! I SAID IT ALL ALONG THEY ARE DISHONEST. I NEVER DEPOSITED ANY CASH THERE. HA HA HA HA HA HA!
bob
April 16, 2011 at 9:33 am
Reply

it’s pure BS …US government wants their cut that is all…these sites have been around forever now … my guess is the government finally figure out how they can get their cut… they’ll charge them…they will pay a fine and back taxes and in the end every us citizen will will get taxed off the top on every dollar earned on the site >)
- John Birch
  April 26, 2011 at 11:14 am
  Reply
  
  I will never pay on a “regulated” US site! That is where you’ll find our corrupt immoral government. Just check the lotteries, they take 50 right off the top, then they tax your winnings, nothing but theft, grand theft !
ZEEZEE
April 16, 2011 at 10:04 am
Reply

good place to show support…

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Poker-Sites-seized-by-Government-Make-a-stand-Alliance/178911375492872?sk=wall
- richard gaines
  April 16, 2011 at 12:43 pm
  Reply
  
  I’ve been playing online for small stakes for 4 years and made a profit, several times my total investment, for the first time in 2010. Yes, I reported it to the IRS, despite knowing it will probably precipitate an audit.
  Former Senate leader Bill Frist sneaked a rider onto a port security bill which led to this indictment and Pres Bush signed it. I, and many of my friends, all of whom gamble well within their means, are now being deprived of a source of much enjoyment, the US is being deprived of substantial tsx revenue, and the online players are being deprived of desirable regulation of online gambling because of this stealth law.
  Yes there is cheating and I reported 2 cheaters whose accounts were canceled, with money refunded to multiple players they cheated, and yes there are cheaters getting away with it which is why it needs to be legalized, so they can be prosecuted.
  Any online gambler who votes Republican should have his head exmined. “Outraged”
jan marlow
April 16, 2011 at 11:30 am
Reply

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…
Dave T
April 16, 2011 at 2:55 pm
Reply

Got onto the play money side of full tilt, no problem. However, that was on my laptop with XP.
Couldn’t on the desk top with W7.
Amazing
AndrewP
April 16, 2011 at 3:07 pm
Reply

It was a black friday for online poker, but not all hope is lost. It seems the sites are up again at http://www.fulltilpoker.co.uk and http://www.pokerstars.eu but real money games and deposits are blocked for US players.
Joseph F.
April 16, 2011 at 3:14 pm
Reply

Wow…Message to all adult Americans from our government, “You cannot decide to risk your own money to play poker online, but we will gladly spend yout taxes to send hundreds of millions of dollars to Libya, Japan, Haiti, etc.”

It is completely absurd that we continue to allow our “leaders” to dictate how we can lead our lives. They have salaries that are paid with our tax dollars and yet refuse to actually represent us.

Shame on our government. If fulltilt, pokerstars, etc. are / were doing anything illegal we still have only the government to blame since the PPA has been working FOR YEARS to get our government to legalize internet gambling so we can police, tax, and monitor it.
- rick
  April 16, 2011 at 11:57 pm
  Reply
  
  amen brother
dist chair
April 16, 2011 at 4:57 pm
Reply

First, this is an old law, that should have been repealed long ago. What difference does it make if you are playing online or in a casino? The tax authorities could have easily set up an account for these sites, for the purpose of taxation. Secondly, if the stupid A holes in DC, that don’t seem to be able to accomplish anything, but giving Obama his daily stroke job, would get off their collective duffs and pass a National sales tax, it eliminate the IRS and it wouldn’t matter what someone was doing to earn money, online or otherwise, everyone would pay when they made any purchase. One more recreational facility shut down by an ever increasing Nanny State. I guess we will all just have to set up our own poker sites, like so many have done already, where we play against people at home, but over the net.
rich loth
April 16, 2011 at 7:15 pm
Reply

what in the hell are they just mad or what these sites have been operating for yrs why would know be the reason for illeagle gambling i mean all ready to vote against the gov gregoire and other politicians int he state of wash. because they made it so ppl couldn’t use these sites what the hell f the fbi i better get the monies out.
- realityC
  April 16, 2011 at 7:51 pm
  Reply
  
  Because they didnt want to be taxed and regulated by dirty Uncle Sam. So diry Uncle Sam did the only thing he could by exaggerating bad business practices and seizing the sites.
rich loth
April 16, 2011 at 7:18 pm
Reply

P.S. i guess i’ll find something in a foreign country remember prohibtion has never worked in these united states
realityC
April 16, 2011 at 7:48 pm
Reply

You ever wonder where the anger and the spite comes from these people that post that the sites and players got what they deserved? These people are called losers. Sore losers that got burned when they couldnt play good enough so now they are jumping on the dirty Sam team to kill the enemy that stole their dollar lol. Pathetic really, so many nice people and families lost alot of money yesterday. Hopefully in time they will be able to cash out.
- Paul
  April 17, 2011 at 3:01 am
  Reply
  
  Why must you Americans always throw politics and spurious patriotism into everything?
  
  Bush signed the Bill because the Europeans had sewn up the online gambling market, no more, no less. We then got the ludicrous situation where perfectly respectable exexutives from legitimate non-US companies (think Ladbrokes, not some sleazy Jersey bingo site) were arrested when they stepped onto US soil!
  
  As to taxing winnings: as far as I know the US has been taxing gambling winnings for a long time – ridiculous for the casual gambler.
realityC
April 16, 2011 at 7:55 pm
Reply

Do you realize that nearly every other country including China and Russia have no problem with their citizens playing online poker? We are the land of the free? Not anymore my friends, not even close to some other countries. Even if you hate poker of think its a scam how can you back a government that does this? You are the same people that like traffic camera speed traps, limewire getting shut down, big brother, and censorship. I am moving.
Gry
April 16, 2011 at 8:07 pm
Reply

I thought that my friend was joking about that :/ I want my money back.
vegas phil
April 16, 2011 at 8:43 pm
Reply

????????????????nomo$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
- vegas phil
  April 16, 2011 at 8:44 pm
  Reply
  
  id like 2 hear more bout the cheating/
Dizzy49
April 16, 2011 at 9:20 pm
Reply

I never played 4 real money… Enjoyed playing and chatting with people all around the world. Sooooo sorry people couldn’t be honest and just have fun playing. Gotta find another site to play. Anyone have any suggestions?
- mike
  April 16, 2011 at 10:02 pm
  Reply
  
  This really is a case of greed – by the politicans and the money the recieve from companies… Bankers are making record making profits and bonus packages – while people can still not get house loans – greedy CEOs run this country….
perry peterson
April 16, 2011 at 9:53 pm
Reply

Drugs and illeagals pouring into the country, and the FBI is focusing on poker?
jon
April 16, 2011 at 10:27 pm
Reply

government aint nothing but a bunch of greedy pigs if they cant have a piece then everybody has to suffer for it. the one thing i truly look foward too in my spare time (and millions like me) and they take it away. people in this nation dont get to choose. im sick of the fucking government