Googling Tusk+Microgaming brings me here:

Microgaming - About Us, Our Case Studie
Global Approach Ltd (formally Tusk) launched into the online casino marketplace 5 years ago using software powered by Microgaming, therefore when the ...
www.microgaming.com/casestudies.php - 17k - Cached - Similar pages

Clicking the link doesnt show the qouted text though (so its rescently removed obv)

This is what I found on Global Approach Ltd:

http://www.globalapproach.com.au/

http://www.asx.com.au/asx/research/C...on&asxCode=GLO

From a 2006 business plan:
Global Approach Acquisition Update
JUM is a substantial shareholder of Global Approach Limited (ASX:GLO) with 18.0% of the shares. GLO
announced on the 29th of March 2006 to acquire Tusk Investment Corporation (Tusk) for AUD$19.3
million to create one of Australia's premier online gaming companies. GLO yesterday announced an
update to the progress of this acquisition.
The main points of the Acquistion are:
• Purchase Consideration $19.375 million through the issue of 155 million fully paid ordinary GLO
shares at an issue price of 12.5c per share.
• Tusk anticipated results for the 12 months to June 2006 include Revenue $7.1 million and
EBITDA $2.5 million.
• Post acquistion gaming operations will consist of 5 mature online casinos and 3 online poker
sites.
• Number of depositing players is expected to grow from 42,000 to 151,000.
Mr Mike Veverka, CEO of Jumbo and Alan Phillips, Chairman of Jumbo are both non-executive directors
of Global Approach Limited. Jumbo Corporation Limited currently holds 11.6 million ordinary shares
(18.0%) of the fully paid ordinary shares in GLO. The full GLO announcement is attached.
Jumbo Corporation Announcement - Page 4 of 4
For further enquiries, please contact:
Mike Veverka, CEO
Email: mike@jumbocorporation.com
Web: www.jumbocorporation.com

So this is not related to Microgaming? Its the Poker Dream Network?

wtf is with all these scum trying to promote their sites in this thread as their 1st posts at a time like this.

may seem a bit harsh but I am trying to find out is happening with my money and I have to read that kind of crap.

So I gather from the above that the skins in question hold no player funds themsleves and that these are held in the accounts of Tusk and not ring-fenced (held in trust accounts) per se.

And Tusk is now going into liquidation according to Microgaming's own announcement. In most jurisdictions players are going to rank as unsecured creditors on an insolvent liquidation, after the liquidator has taken out all his fees which usually equate to everything that is left, and unsecured creditors get nada (or maybe a few cents in the dollar). That is why choosing a room that does have the player funds held in trust accounts is so much better of course.

So unless Tusk's position is a lot better than we fear, it sounds like we are more or less at Microgaming's mercy here.

What of course we don't know is why Tusk is going into liquidation. If it's because Microgaming have pulled their licence for violations of their contract as regards maximum permitted rakeback payments (as is one rumor) then the cause of all this is still Microgaming's direct actions. If, on the other hand, Tusk are in trouble for some other reason (mismanagment/fraud etc.) then you can at least make the case that it's not Microgaming's fault.

Mind you - if the players don't get their money back such fine distinctions aren't going to matter.
Microgaming will simply become the Dutch Boyd of 2008...

I was trying to show a possible correlation .. my bad. I know your all hurting and I apologize. It's undoubtedly bad timing on my part. Bridget

lol, as stated above, if 28 sites that have that little Microgaming symbol on their website are not able to pay player's funds, you think the other rooms won't be affected by this?

It would be huge front page news on all gambling sites/forums and Microgaming as a whole including all rooms will take a huge hit caused by the negative publicity.

I knew if I was a player on your room and found out Battlefield/other skins players did not get paid, the 1st thing I would do is take every cent off any site with the little Microgaming symbol on their site.

It may not be your fault at all, but to think you won't be affected is rather silly and simply wrong.

The Battlefield rep won't answer (or missed the question) as to where the player's funds are kept.

If Tusk does have them and refuses to/doesn't pay then hopefully Microgaming does the right thing for the players and steps in to pay. This is one of those decisions that can make or break a company and I hope they realize that...

I still hope this is a nightmare and tommorow I can wake up and login to my poker account (rednines) to play, get my rakeback and cash out some of me monies... :mad

I can't even play poker properly right now, playing a pot for a buy in when I am wondering if I will get back 55 buy ins or not from Battlefield... I have a lot of money on there but really feel sick for the ones that have hundreds of thousands of dollars on there.

It is just sick that Tusk would treat the players as unsecured creditors if that is indeed the case.

Let me be the first to suggest a boycott of Microgaming to be organized in the near future should they not officially address the issue SOON. hit them where it hurts

From Microgaming's statement:

Microgaming announces that it has terminated its software licence with Tusk Investment Corporation - with immediate effect, after having received Tusk's notification of its plans to put the Company into liquidation.

(emphasis mine)

Give them a few days to look at the books at least. This just happened yesterday.

True but this hits a lot of people and should be addressed. an official statement at the very least is called for immediately. i have a pretty big chunk of my net worth locked up here..

I am serious about organizing a boycott if they don't say anything soon. Get the 99 virgins ready. JIHAD mf'er!!

And what if microgaming is lying to cover up the biggest event that has happened since the 30% rakeback cap?

I have heard (and believe) that the termination of licences was due to rakeback infringments by battlefield and rednines. Microgaming then took the opportunity to stab one of its clients (TUSK) in the back and cancel all their licences to take the focus away from their first licence revocations for rakeback infringements.

If this is true, microgaming cannot be trusted and should be boycotted.

People in the industry must have heard the same rumours that I did a few days ago. This couldn't have been a coincidence. Speak up people...

Tusk holds all the funds for Battlefield and Red Nines.

why are the funds frozen and are they in jeopardy in any way?

Does anyone know if they have the right to somehow keep the funds through any loopholes etc?

seems like a lot of companies would just dissolve and scoot if it were so easy..

So, they has my monniez?

Can't sleep....

I don't think we should be threatening boycotts already and especially planning to organize them before the issue is addressed. I would like to see how they handle the situation first and Microgaming should also be commended if they do in fact take positive steps to help both the players and the affiliates.

I thought all the players funds were held by the parent company in trust on this network. It really surprises me that isn't the case here.

To the reps from MGS skins that aren't affected, your traffic might not be down, but anyone who hears about this isn't going to want to put money on any MGS sites until this gets sorted out. I have been thinking about playing at some MGS skin to see how the games compare to where I play now, but not anymore. Not as a boycott, but until this gets sorted out, how do I know your skin won't be next?

HI all long time reader first time poster, unfortunately it;s taken this situation for me to post.

I like many others are found in the situation of being ****ed over to the point of my poker career being over if I do not see my money . It is absolutely ridiculous to hear that money in prima accounts is being stored by different financial insitutions. I mean how many others are out their besides tusk? Are there a dozen different companies holding money for prima? this is disgusting....

I am willing to help out however I can. I see microgaming, tusk, and the skins all being responsible here and it has been handled poorly by all. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get this money back for us and will certainly help out as much as I can. I'm willing to do whatever it takes as well to ensure this situation does not happen again.

We trusted these copanies and they all have screwed us over. I am willing to go after every last one to get my money back, especially if none of them continue to provide insight into the situation.

If they take positive steps, starting with a statement declaring that they will uphold their honor, we will not take the steps to organize a boycott.

I am wondering if I will get my cheque (25k) from my withdrawal this Monday(usually show up on Friday- wont find out till Monday- in lake tahoe on vacation) If I don't then I will be a lot more pessimistic about this situation. Please this money is more than half the money I have made in my entire life.

(ps for those who say its my fault for keeping so much online- I have been withdrawing the maximum allowable for the last 5 months and I have made 95%+ of all my money in the last 7 months.

You heard right. Battlefield and Rednines were getting shutdown because of rakeback violations. I'm not sure about the stabbing in the back part. Could Tusk have survived without them?

Ok so i got my hands on the official letter sent from Microgaming Network to Tusk notifying them that Tusk will no longer be a part of the network. The letter came to me from an extreme insider who felt like we should know and to whom i swore anonymity. The letter is dated Feb 25th and here are some excerpts:

As you know, there has been persistent contravention of the Rakeback Rules by both Battlefieldpoker and Red Nines, We have on a number of occasions communicated to Tusk our concern over this contravention of the Rakeback Rules

As you are no doubt aware all poker rooms operating within the Microgaming Poker Network must comply with the Rakeback Rules and all other network rules, in order to ensure fair and smooth operation with the Microgaming Poker Network
As discussed with you this morning the continued failure of both Battlefieldpoker and RedNines to comply with the Rakeback Rules leaves us with little choice but to notify you as we hereby do that Battlefield and RedNines will not longer have access to or be part of the Microgaming Poker Network with the effect from 08h00 GMT on Monday 3 March 2008

So at least we now know the cause according to this letter. I know people who have assloads of loot frozen. Microgaming needs to step up and say something to clear this mess up.

Wow, if thats true, its amazing how Microgaming didn't even think of the repercussions such a move would have against their own players.