Full Tilt Poker Set To Reopen

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It has been just over 18 months since Full Tilt Poker was seized by the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) and forced to shut down. Now the online poker room has announced that it will be back in business on November 6, 2013. This period has been a frustrating one for the players at Full Tilt Poker whose funds had been blocked up. It was equally trying for those in the industry who were attempting to get the online poker room back on stream.

Soon after the DoJ action, the Alderney Gambling Control Commission canceled the license of Full Tilt Poker for violating agreed terms and conditions. The enquiries revealed that the management of Full Tilt Poker had diverted players’ deposits for other purposes leaving insufficient funds to pay back the players. After protracted negotiations a French operator Groupe Bernard Tapie agreed to buy out the online poker room. However the negotiations fell through because Groupe Bernard Tapie and the DoJ could not come to an agreement on the repayment to American players. Groupe Bernard Tapie wanted to make the repayment over a period of time, whereas the DoJ demanded that this payment be made up front.

It was then that the other leading online poker room PokerStars came into the picture. PokerStars had also been seized by the United States DoJ. However, it managed to continue its operations outside America. It also paid the required penalties and cleared its account with the DoJ. In August 2012there were reports of PokerStars coming to an understanding with the DoJ. Critical was the issue of payment to the American players of Full Tilt Poker. PokerStars deposited the required funds with the DoJ, who took on the responsibility of paying the American players. Apparently this process is underway.

PokerStars has decided that it will maintain the Full Tilt Poker brand and operate it as an independent online poker room. Full Tilt Poker will golive on November 6 in jurisdictions where online poker is legal. Players from United States, France and some other countries will not be allowed access. The non-American players, who had balances with Full Tilt Poker, will have to open fresh accounts when the online poker room resumes. Their dues will be transferred to those accounts.

Meanwhile the marketing of Full Tilt Poker is picking up steam. A few weeks back the Danish poker professional Gus Hansen was presented as the brand ambassador of the online poker room. More recently two other poker professionals have been taken on. They are Viktor Blom and Tom Dwan. Furtherdetails of the cash games and tournaments to be offered and the promotions for the players should be released in the coming weeks. When Full Tilt Poker finally goes online the entire online gambling industry will breathe a sigh of relief.

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