AGCC Reviews Full Tilt Poker Decision

by Jason Gorringe, Tax-News.com, London

13 December 2011

The Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) has announced that it is to commission an independent, external review of its actions and processes leading up to the suspension of the licenses belonging to the companies trading as Full Tilt Poker.

The AGCC revoked the licenses of Full Tilt Poker's operations with immediate effect on September 29, 2011, after it was found at a tribunal that the poker provider had contravened several rules and fabricated information regarding the company's financial situation to mislead the regulator.

The revocation of the company's licenses follows US authorities' allegations that Full Tilt Poker, along with two other gambling operators, created sham payment-processing frameworks to unlawfully provide internet gambling services to the United States market.

Under the terms of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of 2006, offshore operators are effectively blocked from access to the lucrative US internet gambling market. Specifically, the Act prohibits gambling businesses from knowingly accepting payments in connection with unlawful internet gambling, including payments made through credit cards, electronic funds transfers, and checks.

The AGCC said the decision to launch a review was to provide full transparency. It will be undertaken by Peter Dean, the former Chairman of the British Gambling Commission.

André Wilsenach, AGCC Executive Director, stated:

“As soon as we became aware that there were possible irregularities in relation to FTP’s operational integrity AGCC acted to discharge fully our statutory obligations.”

‘We believe we acted appropriately and fairly at all times but, following our own internal assessment and the inevitable questions that have been raised by third parties, the Commission decided that it is in the best interests of players, licence holders and AGCC itself to commission an independent review and to make the outcome public.”

“I am delighted that Peter Dean has agreed to conduct the review. He has many years of experience at the top of the British Gambling Commission and commands wide respect from operators and regulators alike. He has been asked to review fully the actions taken by AGCC in respect of FTP and to focus specifically on the appropriateness, timeliness and fairness of those actions.”

Dean has been asked to present a final report and recommendations to the Commission by the end of March 2012.

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