Chris Moneymaker to Assist in PayPal Suit

Moneymaker will serve as an advisor to those suing PayPal over confiscated funds.

While Moneymaker will not be a plaintiff in the case, he will be assisting Poker League of Nations (PLON) founder Lena Evans in retrieving nearly $27,000 in confiscated funds from the online payment processing giant.

Last week, Evans filed a class action suit against PayPal in a California court. She has lodged accusations of racketeering and claims the company is using its User Agreement policies to arbitrarily freeze and then seize money from accounts for violations that are never clearly explained. 

Evan had $26,984 froze for 180 days without warning or explanation in November 2020. She used PayPal to help run both PLON and Helix Poker.  She is yet to receive an explanation for the account freeze.

Moneymaker's involvement with the case makes sense.  He has sued PayPal in the past for similar confiscations and has had success in doing so.

Eric Bensamochan, attorney for plaintiffs Evans, Roni Shemtov, and Shbadan Akylbekov, asks the court to award his clients compensation for monetary damages, legal fees, and post-judgment interest.

PokerNews Jon Sefen offered the following advise in order to avoid future issues with PayPal:

One way is to always transfer all or most of your PayPal balance to your bank account immediately. When transferring money for private home game expenses or fantasy sports leagues, advising players to leave the "Comments" section empty is a wise decision. Many PayPal accounts have been terminated because buyers left a note along with the payment that referenced gambling.

Individuals might also want to consider using other payment options such as Zelle or Venmo.

- Ace King, Gambling911.com