© Xavier MARCHANT (Fotolia) white poker chips
© Xavier MARCHANT (Fotolia)
Currently, it is not known whether the withdrawal is a temporary or permanent move. Most industry insiders seem to be in agreement that US operations for these companies have come to a permanent halt.
Cause of pullouts
The pullouts have occurred due to indictments by the US Department of Justice against several prominent online poker company executives and also the companies who processed online payments for the poker businesses.
Complaints and claims
A civil complaint has been made by the US government against the companies for tax evasion and they are claiming billions of dollars in damages. Many criminal complaints have also been filed against the companies.
Players withdrawing from online poker game play
The withdrawal of the industry‘s big players should not be understated. Industry experts are now stating that ninety five percent of the options for players have now vanished. They also believe that 200 million dollars of marketing money has now disappeared.
The future of online poker
At present, there is much speculation from various parties about the future of US online poker. It could take some time for the ramifications of recent events to be made clear.