Poker Players Alliance says US Govt Froze $30 Million in Players Withdrawals

WEC

WEC

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http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gN23deoZpnnDJ2qnmvRZXIJR1YPAD98ND5BG0

An advocacy group for online poker said Tuesday that the federal government has frozen more than $30 million in the accounts of payment processors that handle the winnings of thousands of online poker players.
The Justice Department has long maintained that Internet gambling is illegal, a view that the poker group challenges.
The Poker Players Alliance told The Associated Press that the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York instructed three banks to freeze the accounts.
Documents obtained by the AP show that a judge in the district issued a seizure warrant last week for an account at a Wells Fargo bank in San Francisco, and that a federal prosecutor told a bank in Arizona to freeze an account.....
 
Snowmobiler

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The US Govt is full of crooks and idiots :mad:



Snow :cool:
 
icemonkey9

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Here's the official press release:

PPA Statement on Southern District of NY Action Against Online Poker Players
Letter Sent to Assistant US Attorney Requesting Presence at Future Hearings
WASHINGTON, DC (June 9, 2009) – The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy group with more than one million members nationwide, today released the following statement by PPA Chairman Alfonse D’Amato on questionable actions taken by a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York to freeze payment processor accounts containing more than $30 million in poker players’ deposits and payouts.

The PPA also sent a letter to the Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York asking for an opportunity to be heard in any future warrant hearings. The letter is available at www.pokerplayersalliance.org.

“The PPA is disappointed that this unprecedented action has been commenced against law abiding poker players. The payment processor funds frozen by the Southern District of New York belong to individual poker players – not operators of poker websites – and do not represent the proceeds of any gambling activity, much less illegal gambling activity. This money should be immediately released by the Southern District to ensure that player payouts are not further disrupted. To that end, the PPA is coordinating a legal strategy to appropriately protect PPA members who are impacted by the Southern District’s actions. Further, the PPA has contacted the affected poker websites and has been informed that deposit and payout issues of players are being addressed and will be fully satisfied."

“There are many legal issues that question the merit of the Southern District’s actions. Of greatest concern is that, in at least two cases, these actions were taken without first obtaining a seizure warrant. Seizure of money without judicial authority and litigation tactics inconsistent with previously stated Department of Justice policy appear to be the type of conduct that the Department has recently committed to change. Accordingly, the PPA on June 8th wrote to the prosecutor in charge of the matter and raised appropriate challenges and constitutional concerns with the actions taken to date.


“We are also concerned that the Southern District has selectively taken action against online poker when the current law regarding the activity is far from clear, and policies from various levels of government are inconsistent at best. In fact, no federal or state court has ever found a payment processor or a player accessing an Internet poker site to have violated the federal laws alleged by the Southern District in this case.

“For more than three years the PPA has advocated for a clear US policy, established through licensing and regulating skill games like peer-to-peer Internet poker. The PPA remains committed to legislation that creates a clear regulatory framework and we will continue to pursue every legal course available to ensure that in this instance poker players’ funds are not seized and their right to play online poker is protected.”



About The Poker Players Alliance
The Poker Players Alliance (www.pokerplayersalliance.org) is a nonprofit membership organization comprised of over 1,000,000 online and offline poker players and enthusiasts from around the United States who have joined together to speak with one voice to promote the game and to protect poker players’ rights.
 
S93

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What the **** is wrong with these people?!?!?
Stealing 30M(yes i said stealing cause thats exactly what there doing) is just mind boggling.
 
NoWuckingFurries

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Maybe more of you need to sign up with the Poker Players Alliance, and start lobbying your local government representative? Don't have these problems in England...
 
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mange

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E-Check

I wonder if this is the reason PS and FT are not accepting e-checks any longer?
 
Charzr

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That's not a good news, they always have to find a way to @#$# people, they should be spending time looking for assassins, terrorist and thieves. NO, they spend the time Frozing poker winnings.
 
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I'm so tired of this crooked and moronic government. There are bigger fish to fry. Go deal with North Korea or Pakistan or something. Why harass honest citizens?

This is so sickening. They want a peice of everything. They're always trying to find something new to tax or just outright steal.

Land of the free, Home of the Brave? My ass this is the land of the free and these cowards continue to make these gutless, unwarranted and unprecedented maneuvers to take away more of our rights!

Honestly, voting in a 2 party system will do nothing but keep the status quo of crooked politicians in power.
 
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This is tiresome BS! Why must they control everything we do. Why don't they just legalize it, take their cut like the bloody thieves they are and be done with it. I'm tired of them taking our freedom and the citizens giving it to them. I sware, every day they give us a new reason to leave this country before it becomes just like every other that slowly succumbed to Socialism.:mad:
 
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jamesdenson

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so does this mean it will do me no good to cash out
 
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jamesdenson

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i asked ultimatebet support about it this is what they said
chatinfo.gif
Please wait while I transfer the chat to 'Monica'.
chatinfo.gif
You are now chatting with 'Monica'
thechosen_1: the us goverment just froze 30 million in withdraws so does this mean i would not be able to cash out
Monica: Please hold while I look into your query.
thechosen_1: ok ty
Monica: As far as we are concerned, you should not have any problems cashing or depositing your check.
thechosen_1: ok ty very much
 
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jamesdenson

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just dont keep your money in a payment processor have them send you a check and you should be ok
 
kidkvno1

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Maybe more of you need to sign up with the Poker Players Alliance, and start lobbying your local government representative? Don't have these problems in England...
I 2nd that, i have been signed up with them, and sent out emails......

-Steven
 
wsorbust

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Maybe more of you need to sign up with the Poker Players Alliance, and start lobbying your local government representative? Don't have these problems in England...

Every government has their problems.
I would support that if I thought for a milli-second it would make any difference. Lobbying politicians about this is about the same as lobbying for legalizing marijuana or deporting every illegal immigrant. It's just not going to happen.
 
zachvac

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Every government has their problems.
I would support that if I thought for a milli-second it would make any difference. Lobbying politicians about this is about the same as lobbying for legalizing marijuana or deporting every illegal immigrant. It's just not going to happen.

This is completely false. There is currently a bill in Congress that has a lot of support. I'm not gonna get into it too much here but the legislation forum on 2p2 basically has a bunch of threads with ppa reps who are actually working directly with members of Congress to get the bill passed.
 
Eugenius

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What pisses me off is that a lot of states have legal online Keno - which somehow isn't considered online gambling - because it raises funds for the state, of course. Hypocritical bullshit.
 
roundcat

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What pisses me off is that a lot of states have legal online Keno - which somehow isn't considered online gambling - because it raises funds for the state, of course. Hypocritical bullshit.

Yeah, I see all the time in the grocery store the lottery slogan, "It's good to play." But apparently only against the house (state).
 
wsorbust

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This is completely false. There is currently a bill in Congress that has a lot of support. I'm not gonna get into it too much here but the legislation forum on 2p2 basically has a bunch of threads with ppa reps who are actually working directly with members of Congress to get the bill passed.

I'd know more if I was a 2plus2 member. Can I get a gold star when the bill doesn't pass Zack?
 
RichKo

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Monica: As far as we are concerned, you should not have any problems cashing or depositing your check.
thechosen_1: ok ty very much

But didnt they (I mean our crooked ass government) deal with the banks?? So as far as they are concerned, everythings good on their end...doesnt mean you will actually be able to withdrawl and deposit your winnings.
 
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jamesdenson

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no what they siezed was from online processors like ewallet clicktopay and such if you have them send you a paper check your bank can cash it
 
zachvac

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I'd know more if I was a 2plus2 member. Can I get a gold star when the bill doesn't pass Zack?

Are you a ppa member? Their press releases also include most of that information although the forums they answer specific questions. As for the gold star let's just say I would bet a good amount of money on a bill passing by the end of the year. The questions are more of the details of states opting out and what the criterias of regulating would be. Obviously it's not a lock by any means, but I'm putting our odds above 50%. Obviously I could be dead wrong but I've yet to see any facts supporting your opinion while I can base my opinion on hearing from people who are currently lobbying and in direct contact with members of Congress as well as others who are professional lawyers. One thing's for sure if the bill does not pass we are looking at a very real possibility of an outright ban in the future.
 
wsorbust

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True Dat.

I'm pretty sure I signed up to the PPA with an email I don't use anymore and need to look into that.
 
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mange

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Government Freezes On Line Poker Funds

I just heard on a major New Network and also, read the CC threads, that the US Government has seized or frozen on line poker accounts to the sum of 34 Million dollars or so.

It appears they are attempting to put a stop to On Line Poker in the USA.

Does that mean, that all this on line poker playing is now just for play money, since no one is going to get a payout?

mange
 
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