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Full Tilt Responds to the Recent Take Down of FullTiltPoker.com

As part of last week’s overhaul of Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars, Absolute Poker, and UB.com, which completely eradicated them from the US market, the FBI brought down the online poker giants on charges of fraud and money laundering. They also ordered the arrest of 11 founding members and executives of these sites including Full Tilt Poker’s CEO Raymond Bitar and Full Tilt Poker employee Nelson Burtnick. Full Tilt Poker headquarters is based out of Dublin, Ireland, a move they made from LA after the UIGEA was enacted in 2006.

If you are looking for an online poker site that is still taking US players, click here.

In response to their domain being seized, Full Tilt Poker has redirected its traffic to FullTiltPoker.co.uk, available to all non-US players. Full Tilt Poker also made the following statement after it all went down:

“Mr. Bitar and Full Tilt Poker believe online poker is legal, a position also taken by some of the best legal minds in the United States.”

Thirty-nine-year-old also added, “I am surprised and disappointed by the government’s decision to bring these charges. I look forward to Mr. Burtnick’s and my exoneration.”

They went on to ensure that players’ assets were safe:

“In light of recent events involving the freezing of certain accounts, Full Tilt Poker would like to assure all players that their funds remain safe and secure. Processing of both deposit and withdrawal requests is proceeding as normal and is still available to all of our players.”

They also mentioned in regards to , “Full Tilt Poker remains committed to the protection of our players’ security and legal rights, and will continue to provide the best and safest online poker room available worldwide.”

Over the past four to five years, Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars shared 70% of the US online poker market and earned around $1 billion from online poker each year, so they should both have plenty of money to pay the US government’s damages estimated at a mere $3 billion.

Are Poker Sites Still Accepting US Players?

Despite the recent FBI seizure of the FullTiltPoker.com, PokerStars.com, AbsolutePoker.com, and UB.com online poker domain names, there are poker sites still accepting US players. In fact, you can find a comprehensive list of US Poker Sites here. It is still safe to deposit money at the online poker sites recommended on USPokerSites.com, and frankly, the offer great deposit bonuses, promotions, software, and overall decent competition, especially with the increased traffic at all online poker sites still accepting US players.
Sites like Carbon Poker, which usually only see 4,000 online players at a time, if they are lucky, are seeing up in the 10,000 player range at peak times, so there is clearly no want for US online poker sites. And while you can’t play at Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker, PokerStars, or UB.com anymore if you are a real money US player, there are still plenty of poker sites still accepting US players.

After the domains were seized last Friday, near panic set into the online poker community, particularly by US players who didn’t know what had happened to their online poker accounts and were just in shock by the FBI warning that graced the front page of Absolute.com. And it only got worse when they logged into their Full Tilt or PokerStars software only to realize they were merely play money players with no real money wagering privileges. This is unfortunately still the state of affairs at these online poker sites currently, but it is not the end of online poker in the US.

Open a new account at a new US online poker site and deposit and play. It’s legal, it’s safe, and it’s ok to play US poker at poker sites still accepting US players.

PokerStars Responds to No USA Play

Now that PokerStars has had to reject their USA players and has lost about 35% of their player base, they’ve re-routed their traffic through pokerstars.eu since the FBI took over the pokerstars.com domain.

Click here to find online poker sites that still accept USA players.

PokerStars issued a statement that reads, “As you may have heard, we have had to suspend real money poker services to people based in the U.S. due to legal developments there. The developments are confined to the U.S. and do not have any impact on your ability to continue using our services. Please be assured player balances are safe. There is no cause for concern. For all customers outside the U.S. it is business as usual.”

But this doesn’t really address the USA players who have their cash tied up in their online account at PokerStars. Presently, PokerStars players have reported trouble withdrawing cash from their player accounts. In fact, Tom “durrrr” Dwan tweeted in defense of the poker sites: “I’d guess ftp/stars is worth more than 93c on the $ (almost 100% u get paid but could take 2-3 mnths n worst case more).”

So far, the FBI has put a freeze on 76 total accounts if you combine the three sites. Furthermore, they are demanding $3 billion in penalties and fines.

PokerStars’ statement reassures players who have not been able to cash out: “Please be aware that we are currently experiencing a very high volume of emails, so our response times are delayed. We will answer player emails as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience and understanding in this matter.”

So for the time being, USA poker players should find a new online poker site to play at and hope that Dwan is right in saying that all player funds will be refunded.

Where Can American Players Play Poker Online

American poker players are still able to play poker online. Visit USPokerSites.com to find out where you can play if you are a US player. If you are an online poker player residing in the US and a former member of Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker, UB.com, or PokerStars and are no longer welcome as a real money player at your site, you still have options. There are still online poker rooms accepting US players and there are still online poker rooms that still take USA deposits.

All you have to do is open a new player account, which will entitle you to a new player poker bonus, make a deposit, and start playing online poker in the US again. Unfortunately, all of your VIP points and Frequent Player Points at other online poker rooms are valueless. However, you can establish an account at another online poker room that does take bets from USA players today and begin earning points again.

As long as you have a credit card or bank account, there are still online poker rooms allowing USA players to register. These poker sites are taking players from the USA right now and letting them play for real money. If you are left wondering what to do if you are a USA poker player, don’t worry. Go to USPokerSites.com and find yourself a new online poker room. There you will find a very nice variety of trusted and legal USA poker sites, all of which offer great poker bonuses, promotions, rewards, guaranteed tournaments, and games.

Furthermore, the competition is great everywhere! With so many USA players looking for a new online poker room to play at, you can imagine all the soft competition. The traffic at these USA friendly sites is tripling by the day practically, and many of these players are fish!

US Poker Sites – USA Websites Still Accepting Players

Despite the fact that USA players were shut out of their real money accounts yesterday at PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker, and UB.com, there are still online poker rooms accepting US players. You can find a list of reliable and acceptable USA online poker sites here, as well as information on sites accepting USA players.

Just because Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars have shut down to USA players, USA players still have plenty of options. There are still online poker sites for you to play at in the US.

After the recent events that forced PokerStars and Full Tilt to close their virtual doors (federal seizure of the domains for these online poker rooms by the FBI), many players have begun to panic about where they are going to play now and what happened to their money in their players’ accounts. If you’ve logged into PokerStars (which you can still do via the software, you will just be denied the option to deposit), you may have seen the statement that PokerStars is ensuring your money is safe.

If your main concern is where you’re going to spend your Saturday night that is otherwise reserved for the felt at Full Tilt, fear not. Online poker for USA players is not extinct and never will be. There are plenty of other online poker rooms awaiting you with great new player deposit bonuses, freerolls, promotions, killer software applications, and so on. USPokerSites.com has a list of dependable online poker rooms that will still accept USA players. You will be able to make real money deposits at these poker sites, earn VIP rewards, and participate in guaranteed tournaments, just like you did at PokerStars or FullTilt. The only difference is these clubs are smaller with less traffic, which you can use to your advantage if you are a seasoned player. Think of all the other fish that are looking for a new USA poker room online. There’s sure to be some good action going on tonight as floods of new players sign up at these poker sites accepting US players, so don’t worry!

PokerStars Shuts Down – No More USA Players

If you are a USA player who had a PokerStars account, don’t worry. You will still be able to play online poker for real money. USPokerSites.com shows all the sites still accepting USA Players. Here you can also find deposit bonus information and reviews on all the sites that take USA players, as well as information on USA player deposit options.

The federal government is going after online poker in the USA using the UIGEA as grounds for seizing five online poker domains directing to the four biggest online poker sites and charging 11 founding individuals of online poker rooms that were still taking USA players, even after the UIGEA was passed in 2006, with money laundering, illegal gambling, and fraud.

Online poker is such a force that it has shaken the world over the past decade. The industry is still trying to find its place in society, worldwide, and while many countries have regulated the business, the USA is still entangled in a mess of political incapacity. State after state has attempted to get online poker regulated and time and time again they fail. In fact, the jurisdiction of Washington DC has actually recently passed a law that will allow US residents of Washington DC to play online poker. Now if the rest of the country will get on board, and the feds will back off, maybe we will see some changes in the USA regarding online poker, but for now, PokerStars remains shut down to USA players.

Although PokerStars is shut down to USA players, it’s not the end of the world, and no one should panic over this unfortunate event that is merely par for the course in the road to regulation in the USA. There are plenty of other online poker sites that will still take USA players and are not under scrutiny by the FBI.

Don’t give up on your game. PokerStars is not the only online poker room in the world, nor was it the only online poker room where USA players could play. There are many others listed on USPokerSites.com.

FullTilt Poker Shut Down by FBI

The good news is that there are still online poker rooms that do accept USA players. These are smaller poker sites, thus, they are not in the line of fire from the FBI, but satisfactory online poker websites, all the same. You can find information about trusted online poker sites that accept US players here. If you are a US poker player who has suddenly been thwarted by Full Tilt Poker, you are not alone. Fortunately, though, you can still play online poker.

Full Tilt Poker domain, so that no US players could access the site. A very unfriendly warning from the Federal Bureau of Investigation stated that the website had been seized by the FBI for “conducting, financing, managing, supervising, directing, or owning all or part of an illegal gambling business” as a federal crime.

It further stated that it was unlawful for people “engaged in the business of betting or wagering” to “knowingly accept in connection with the participation of another person in unlawful Internet gambling, credit, electronic fund transfers, or checks.” This is actually referring to the UIGEA, which prohibits banks and financial institutions from transferring monies over the Internet for the purpose of online gambling.

Since the UIGEA was passed back in 2006, it has been mainly ignored by most online poker sites, save Party Poker and some others that shut their doors to US players immediately. However, the bill was to go into effect this year, so the FBI has been waiting for their chance to pounce on the four biggest online poker sites in the business, FullTilt Poker being one of them, and yesterday happened to be that day.

This is not the end of the road for US poker. In fact, there are many other online poker sites that accept US players right now.

Online Poker Sites Shut Down

Sadly, early yesterday afternoon, USA online poker players were shocked when they were no longer welcome to play real money poker at four of the biggest online poker sites on the Internet. Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker, PokerStars, and UB.com have all shut down to USA poker players indefinitely. You can no longer play at these sites if you reside in the US.

While this is all very unfortunate, it is not the end of the story. There are many other online poker rooms that are still perfectly safe for USA players to play at. Visit USPokerSites to find sites that accept USA players.

Seventy-five different banks have been charged along with the 11 executives from the online poker rooms with money laundering, fraud, and illegal gambling, so it is unlikely that PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, or Absolute Poker will be back up and running for USA players anytime soon. Therefore, it is necessary for USA players of these sites to find new online poker rooms where they can play for real money. Visit USPokerSites.com to find out where you can still deposit and play online poker for real money. There you will be able to find out which sites still accept USA players.

Unfortunately, most of the defendants in the case have in fact already been arrested, and those who are still at large are being sought after by federal agents. This is a very sad day for these men and their families, but USA poker will go on despite the feds going after them for violating the UIGEA.

ChiliPoker Adds Social Media System

A new trend is creeping up on the online poker industry, and it just started at ChiliPoker. ChiliPoker is the first online poker club to incorporate a social media outlet into their poker client. This social media platform is called ChiliConnect and will allow online poker players to interact with each other by linking their player accounts with social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. The purpose being to share the results of their online poker sessions with social site comrades.

ChiliPoker players will access the program via the ChiliConnect toolbar that can be found within the software. From there, players can challenge opponents to heads up matches and online poker games or make bets. They can even sell a percentage of their action. Otherwise, players have had to set up side action on their own. Now the ChiliConnect app does that for you.

Alexandre Dreyfus, ChiliPoker founder, says, “ChiliPoker always has been close to its players through a very strong customer care team and more lately through our successful live event tour in Europe, the Deep Stack Open. By listening to them, we understood that online poker players wanted to enjoy the same experience that they could in land-based events. We decided to add this social experience online along with a ‘challenge’ system. More than ever, our motto ‘Spice up your game’ is true.”

ChiliConnect is based on four major widgets. These are called Share, Connect, Swap, and Challenge. “Share” allows you to post your results to a social media outlet. It updates cash games, tourneys, and sit and go results every 15 minutes. “Connect” allows you to track your friends’ results with a Buddy List. Keep an eye on where your fellow players are playing and what tourneys they’ve registered for.

“Challenge” establishes last-longer bets with up to six other players. The “Swap” allows players to swap a portion of their potential earnings with friends playing in the same tourney. That way they can win money without cashing. Sell up to 40% of your buy-in for no extra fee. This is popular in high-stakes action.

This new addition to the ChiliPoker experience helps bring owner Dreyfus’ vision for the company to reality. He says, “We are not the biggest poker company, but we want to be the most innovative and become the favorite alternative online room for every poker player.”

Wynn Resorts Team Up with PokerStars in Case of Regulation

A new direction has formed as of late in the ongoing saga that is US online poker with the alliance of established online poker sites and established Las Vegas land-based casinos. Up first is the collaboration of PokerStars and Wynn Resorts in the hopes of possible regulated online poker in the US.

Right now, the companies are mainly going to push for a federall bill that will legalize and regulate the online gambling industry on a federal level. “The companies will first work to secure the passage of federal legislation that will finally and conclusively define illegal internet gambling, provide law enforcement with the tools necessary to stop illegal internet gambling, protect consumers by establishing a robust regulatory environment for the safe operation of online poker by experienced operators, and establish a regime for the assessment and collection of taxes,” stated a press release.

Once legislation passes, the business relationship will transform into a new type of partnership as the two corporations would mutually launch an online poker site fairly named PokerStarsWynn.com, which would provide legal and regulated online poker to US players.

Ironically Wynn Resorts had formerly opposed the regulation of online gambling, as had other land-based casinos who feared the competition of online gambling would ultimately hurt their businesses. However, owner of Wynn Resorts, Steve Wynn, has now joined forces (if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em) and accepted that online gambling is here to stay and isn’t going anywhere. He now believes regulation is the best alternative and has devised a plan to tap into the industry’s sky high revenues.

“As a company that has safely conducted gaming in the US for more than 40 years, we believe that the same can be done for poker on the internet,” he says.

Ultimately, the alliance would provide benefits to both parties should the game of online poker become legal in the US, whereas they both may otherwise suffer without the alliance. Wynn now has a leg in the door with the PokerStars brand, which already has the player base, the software, the expertise, the pros, and the infrastructure to keep it all afloat. At the same time, PokerStars can use the Wynn name to protect itself from being scorned for allowing US players to continue to play on their site after the UIGEA went into effect.

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