The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) met recently with the Department of Justice (DOJ), discussing the fate of Full Tilt Poker and the importance of returning funds to American players. The meeting occurred before Full Tilt announced that an agreement was to be acquired by a French investor group. This acquisition deal will only go through if Full Tilt is able to negotiate an agreeable resolution with the DOJ, which would likely include the DOJ returning most or all of the seized funds from Black Friday.
John Pappas, the executive director at the PPA, said, “We still have an open dialogue with [the DOJ] and look forward to more productive conversations down the road. We plan to follow up to make sure the DOJ gets a guarantee that players get restitution through any deal with new Full Tilt management.” Pappas also commented that the DOJ was receptive when members of the PPA asserted that poker players should be considered victims of Full Tilt Poker, and therefore be compensated for their deposited funds.
The dialogue is productive and amicable, but all poker players must watch these events with a patient eye. The Black Friday case will take a great deal of time to resolve. The paperwork involved in handling player claims is likely massive, and is not going to decrease as the DOJ and Full Tilt consider how to return funds post-acquisition.
“We continue to believe the best and most expedient way to reimburse players is through the sale of Full Tilt contingent on paying back players,” said Pappas. “I think the DOJ would like to preserve as much of the forfeiture money for themselves, but they would view a new company coming in and paying back players as something beneficial to them and the player community.”