Marc Lasry, whose name figured in the list of nominees for the post of US ambassador to France, had to withdraw his name after authorities arrested many of his friends for running an illegal gambling outfit. Although the billionaire has not been charged with any wrongdoing, his spokespeople say that his opponents will use the fact that he is associated with the arrested to object to his nomination when the time comes to appoint the ambassador.

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Addressing those who invested in his Avenue Capital Fund, worth $12 billion, Lasry said: “I am very grateful to have been considered, but I would like to put the speculation to rest and let you know that I will be remaining at Avenue.”

Illya Trincher, the son of a professional poker player, and Molly Bloom, the poker princess, are two of the 34 people who the police arrested and charged recently. The duo stand accused of organizing illegal live poker games in Los Angeles for celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire.

A reliable source is reported to have said that Lasry admitted to playing poker with some of those arrested by the police. Lasry also stated that it was a “complete surprise to him that they are accused of violating the law.”

Chelsea, daughter of Bill Clinton, had been under the employment of Lasry for a number of years. Besides, Lasry was one of the biggest sponsors of President Obama during the last elections. Lasry, who was born in Morocco, had also hosted a dinner for Obama at his apartment in Manhattan, at which each dinner cost $40,000. Lasry is also known for his loyalty to President Obama.

According to an ancient Washington tradition, top political sponsors get rewarded for their political loyalty by getting appointed as ambassadors to different parts of the world. One of the reasons for this is that they are wealthy enough to entertain their guests lavishly after they become ambassadors.

US poker legality is a gray area. While the US federal government has not legalized online poker, it has announced that the federal Wire Act of 1961 does not apply to online poker and online casino gaming. Party owing to the failure of the federal-level online poker bill and partly due to the above-mentioned clarification, individual US states have begun rushing to legalize intrastate online poker. Meanwhile, the legality of playing live poker depends on the gambling laws of individual US states.