Not everyone has the time to stay on top of all of the news that breaks daily in the poker world, but that doesn’t mean you have to be out of the loop entirely. Every week, Card Player will bring you everything you need to know to stay informed about your favorite events, players and industry happenings.
Here’s a look at this week’s poker news.
Full Tilt Poker’s Lawyers File Motion To Withdraw From Class Action Cases
Attorneys representing Full Tilt Poker in class action lawsuits against the company have filed a motion to withdraw as “attorneys of record with the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York,” according to eGaming Review Magazine.
Jeff Ifrah and David Deitch of Ifrah PLLC, representing the online site and its individuals in two separate ongoing class action lawsuits, stated in the motion that "continued representation of defendants would create unreasonable difficulty for us to carry out our employment effectively and would result in an unreasonable financial burden to our law firm.”
The Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) will reconvene the postponed hearing into the affairs of Full Tilt Poker at 9 a.m. on Monday September 19, 2011 – four days after its original deadline for the resumption of the hearing.
Full Tilt Poker had its license to operate suspended by the AGCC, which regulates the company, in June and has subsequently been unable to offer online poker.
The Department Of Justice Releases Some Of PokerStars’ Frozen Funds
According to eGaming Review, the United States Department of Justice has released an undisclosed amount of frozen PokerStars assets from the Hapoalim Bank in Luxembourg.
The bank is tied to Sphene International Limited, a financial institution named in the Black Friday indictments and responsible for PokerStars payments.
It is unknown how much money was released, but a press release explains that “the Government and PokerStars have reached an agreement pursuant to which PokerStars consents to the restraint of US $5.5m in the account… and the Government agrees that it does not object to PokerStars’ use of the remaining funds in that account.”
The release then goes on to say that that the $5.5 million remaining in funds was “derived from online poker play for real money in the United States.”
Entraction Poker Network Withdraws From Canada, Russia, Norway, Israel and Turkey
The Entraction Poker Network recently announced that it would no longer offer online poker to citizens of Canada, Russia, Norway, Israel and Turkey, in an effort to comply with each country’s various gaming laws.
The network, which hosts 112 different online poker rooms, is considered to be one of the largest in the world. Some of the notable skins of the newtork include Betsson, DevilfishPoker, VictorChandler and GoldWinPoker.
Entraction "was bought earlier this year ":http://www.igamingbusiness.com/content/igt-receives-approval-purchase-entractionby Las Vegas company International Game Technology (IGT) for $115 million. This recent move appears to be an effort to position the two companies to take advantage of online poker in the United States if and when it becomes licensed and regulated.
Support For Washington D.C. Online Poker In Doubt
A group of Washington D.C. Council members announced on Wednesday their plans to take another look at the district’s $38 million lottery contract and intent to launch the nation’s first online poker system, according to The Washington Times.
The proposals were approved without public discussion in a budget bill this past December. While online poker remains a hotly debated issue, the crux of the investigation stems from “irregularities in the underlying lottery contract and the oversight activities of Chief Financial Officer Natwar M. Gandhi.”
The controversy has recently prompted council member Tommy Wells to seek legislation to repeal the online poker measure. Wells also cited the need for a public vetting process. Evans said there will be another hearing for online poker in September.
The Big Federal Gamble
The National Law JournalBig_Federal_Gamble_ takes a look at the variety of gambling-related bills currently under consideration, including the Barton bill, which would create “an office in the U.S. Commerce Department that would oversee state and tribal licensing.”
The article also explains the American Gaming Association’s stance, a group that supports online poker legislation at the federal level, but has yet to throw their support behind a particular bill.
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