PPA Meets DOJ to Discuss Full Tilt Remissions Process, UltimateBet and Absolute Poker Cases
Key Takeaways
  • The PPA has held a conference call with the DOJ.
  • The PPA received advice that pushing for fraud charges against AP/UP could help players get reimbursed.
  • Rich Muny cautioned that players getting money for losses on AP/UB is still a longshot.
  • The DOJ reported on the progress of the Full Tilt Remissions process and said that checks could go out at the end of Q1 of 2014.

The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) and the Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section (AFMLS) discussed ways to have Cereus Network executives charged with fraud, which could aid in getting victims of the defunct network reimbursed, in a conference call this week.

The PPA also received an update on the Full Tilt remissions process.

PPA Executive Director John Pappas was told that 80% of those with petition and control numbers had accepted the balance identified by the Garden City Group out of a total of roughly 35,000 claims filed. The “balances of players tagged as affiliates” remain to be determined.

Marco Valerio subsequently tweeted a further possibility that Full Tilt Red Pros may also be reconsidered for reimbursement:

With regard to the Cereus Network sites UltimateBet and Absolute Poker, the AFMLS discussed the various options available to the PPA to get the Southern District of New York (SDNY) prosecutors to take on the case.

The remissions process for Full Tilt should “optimistically” see e-checks go out for uncontested balances by the end of the first quarter of 2014. Following this, the AFMLS suggested that the PPA make a formal written request of SDNY to bring charges against Cereus Network executives, which the PPA plans to do.

“This continues to be a long shot, of course, but at least we are working up the ladder,” commented Rich Muny, VP of Player Relations for the Poker Players Alliance.