The DOJ is not going to run around collecting gambling debts people incurred to an illegal offshore company. LOL.

If your account balance is made up of uncleared deposits, then you won't get anything back, but the DOJ isn't going to send out a bunch of "Pay Up Or Else" letters.

They'd eat the 200million or whatever before opening themselves up to that kind of publicity.

Bump. Wonder what will happen now after the recent PS/FTP developments.

From the main sticky:

What an interesting story unfolding. Thanks everyone for voicing their opinions!

PokerStars is truly putting in the workload. What an interesting investment strategy!

PokerStars has no intention of debiting accounts that have uncleared deposits?

is this confirmed by anywhere by PS?

No, not confirmed and probably not true either.

It seems to me that the quote means that PokerStars won't have any claim to FTP Group banking accounts seized by the DOJ. It has nothing to do with phantom deposits.

I expect PokerStars will reconcile phantom deposits against ROW player account balances where there is a positive balance. It may not do this where there is no positive account balance. But these amounts are minor for ROW players.

For US players, it is likely imo that the DOJ will reconcile all phantom deposits against player account balances, whether or not there is a positive player account balance. It is even conceivable that the DOJ will go after collecting any resulting negative account balances as a clawback against remission claims. Players whose deposits were caught in limbo may have to submit paperwork to the DOJ to prove that their deposit was withdrawn from their bank account.

You are of the opinion the DoJ will seek enforcement of a transaction which it simultaneously holds should never have been processed?

I am of the opinion that they might as a form of clawback against remission claims. Or they might in cases of large amounts only. While most such phantom deposits were innocent, there were also millions of dollars stolen from FTP by individuals who knowingly took advantage of the inability of FTP to collect deposits from player bank accounts. These were (phantom) deposits not for the purpose of illegal gambling but specifically for the purpose of fraud.

And how do you think they can tell the difference?

There obviously isn't any foolproof standard, but they could simply set an amount above which they pursue it. Or, they could even send everyone with a negative balance a letter requesting voluntary repayment, and then follow up on any five-figure outstanding negative balances. Of course, this is all just speculation at the moment.

what happens if they have a negativa balance on FTP but after crossing the players info, they find out they have a postive balance on PS? Could they take the money from PS?

No.

When does the ''Winning players who did'nt pay their taxes''thread start?

I hope the DOJ comes after the phantom deposits, I know 2 azzholes who said they would never get in trouble. (close to 30k)

Realistically what are the chances of these guys being served justice on this? I would forfeit my $1200 just to see these guys made to pay.

I don't think DOJ can do anything to phantoms.FTP willingly fronted the money.What crime was committed?Where was the crime committed?Ireland,Gibraltar,Is.of Mann.Nothing happened on U.S.soil.FTP was such a f*cked up operation who is to say what happened?

Unless they turn over their bank records (LOL)what can DOJ do other than withholding positive balances of phantoms.