FTP’s US Players Still in Dark on How to Claim Funds

Poker media reports are full of the recently finalized deal between the US federal government and PokerStars, which will hopefully see Full Tilt Poker’s US as well as non-US players fully reimbursed and Full Tilt Poker re-launched this November. The deal, however, has given rise to more questions than answers. While Full Tilt Poker’s rest of the world (ROW) players will be fully refunded by PokerStars, the beleaguered online poker room’s US players are still waiting for the Department of Justice to issue clear guidelines on how they can claim their funds.

The recently finalized settlement deal is the result of a one-year discussion between the US government on one side and Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars on the other. Poker media reports have, so far, shown Full Tilt Poker’s management team and board of directors, including Chris Ferguson, Ray Bitar, Howard Lederer, and Rafe Furst, as villains. On the contrary, the above-mentioned and their lawyers had urged the DoJ to refund US poker players by coming to a settlement that would allow for Full Tilt Poker’s US as well as non US players to be repaid in full. According to gaming advocates and friends of those associated with Full Tilt Poker, the above-mentioned had done their best to urge the DoJ to create circumstances favorable for the sale of Full Tilt Poker in the best interests of its players.

According to the settlement deal, the US government has lifted all the charges it had leveled against PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker. However, the cases against Ray Bitar, Howard Lederer, and the others still remain. While Bitar is under house arrest at present, Lederer is believed to be with his friends in Las Vegas. Friends of Lederer say that he is innocent as it was Bitar who was actively engaged in handling Full Tilt Poker’s affairs. Lederer had announced a few years back that he is no longer actively associated with Full Tilt Poker, but had played an active role in trying to get the online poker room sold.

Meanwhile, the Poker Players’ Alliance (PPA) has turned to Marc Zwilinger, its lawyer, to exert pressure on the DoJ to reimburse US poker players at the earliest. Zwilinger has already written to the DoJ, urging it to make sure that Full Tilt Poker’s US players get back all their money. Since the PPA is quite an influential body, the DoJ is sure to pay attention to whatever it says.