PokerStars Cracks Down on US Players

PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker room, has begun to crack down on innovative US players who have found a way to play on the site.  PokerStars began blocking US players since an indictment was leveled against the company’s founder for money laundering and bank fraud on April 15. 

While the company encouraged its high stakes poker players to relocate, some players elected to remain in the States and circumvent the blocking through the utilization of a Virtual Private Network (VPN).  This is a program that essentially masks IP addresses by re-routing Web users through other countries. 

“We're not really sure what will happen yet,” PokerStars VIP Manager Steve Daytold the twoplustwo.com PokerCast. “The accounts get frozen, and then we wait for guidance from the independent moderator who was appointed by the Department of Justice as to what to do with the funds in these accounts and the ability to play in the future.”

In other words, US players caught engaging in this type of activity risk not getting paid. 

 “Many people are getting caught, and the consequences are severe,” Day said. “We have to enforce the rules.”

- Patrick Flanagan, Gambling911.com