PPA, Ray Bitar, Chris Ferguson Comment on Full Tilt Sale

Earl Burton · August 1, 2012

The fallout continues from Tuesday’s finalization of the sale of Full Tilt Poker to PokerStars via the U.S. Department of Justice. After the announcement, the preeminent player advocate in the U.S. announced its intentions to remain vigilant and two of the major players from Full Tilt Poker shared their thoughts.

The Poker Players Alliance(PPA) issued a statement almost immediately following the announcement of the deal. John Pappas (pictured), the Executive Director of the PPA, commented, “Thanks to PokerStars, the PPA expects that tens of thousands of innocent American poker players will now have access to more than $150 million they have been owed since April 2011. We applaud that the parties made a process for the restitution of the players a central component of the agreement.”

Pappas also examined the issues that still face Americans regarding their Full Tilt monies. “The Government has not yet released the precise details on how reimbursements will occur,” Pappas stated. “It is the PPA’s position that the Government must take all steps necessary to ensure the process for the players to recover their full funds is not unduly burdensome.”

The PPA announced it would create a dedicated page on the PPA website that will contain the latest information for American players. This page will be updated frequently to keep all Americans in the loop.

Pappas finished off his statement with a major crux that still remains. “At the same time, let’s remember that Americans still remain unable to play poker with safe and secure online sites based in the U.S. – a freedom and consumer protection they should not be denied,” Pappas said. “The PPA and its members continue to urge Congress to quickly enact thoughtful legislation to create a licensed and regulated U.S. online poker market that restores Americans’ freedom to enjoy a game of poker from their home computers.”

As the ripples from the tidal wave of the PokerStars/Full Tilt deal were still being felt in the poker community, two of the major players of the beleaguered Full Tilt Poker issued their own statements. Former Full Tilt Chief Executive Officer Ray Bitar (pictured), currently under home restriction in California while awaiting trial regarding his role in the Black Friday indictments, issued a statement that sounded very much like a farewell to the company he helped found.

“Today’s settlement ends the U.S. Government’s legal case against the Full Tilt companies. I am glad that this chapter has closed,” Bitar said. “I would like to thank the company’s many dedicated employees who helped achieve this result. It has been a pleasure working at Full Tilt and I am grateful for the many friendships and memories that I made there. I am glad we have gotten to the end. I only wish that we could have resolved the situation much sooner.”

Meanwhile, Chris Ferguson (pictured), who was charged along with Howard Lederer and Rafe Furst in a September addendum to the Black Friday indictments, issued a statement through his attorney, Ian Imrich. “The settlement is great news for poker players worldwide and particularly in the United States,” Imrich told PokerNews. “But Chris Ferguson is not in a position to comment at this time, as he has not yet resolved his individual civil case with SDNY, and the settlement discussion – while extremely positive and productive – must remain private and confidential at this time.”

The shockwaves of the case will continue to have implications in the poker world, potentially for years to come. PocketFives will remain on the watch as the latest developments occur.

What do you think of the PPA’s, Ray Bitar’s and Chris Ferguson’s comments? Were they what you expected?