It was related to both:
As well as disguising their transactions (credit card companies and major banks blocked processing online gambling transactions long before the UIGEA):

Can someone with a legal background answer something for me. Some of the wording from PS legal counsel in the MTD sounded like they are ready to fight the DOJ and aren't ready to just settle. I think many people had the knowledge that the deal was supposed to be signed on Monday and all of a sudden it didn't happen.

Is it possible that PS said FU to the DOJ at the last second and decided they want to fight the them in court?

I do. However, ignoring the fact that the software sucks, tournament prize pools are too small and there aren't enough tournaments.

If the Stars deal doesn't happen, FTP players could still get paid remission by the DoJ from money forfeited in relation to any conviction/judgement they obtain on the fraud charges (criminal against Bitar and Burtnick, currently civil against Ferguson, Furst and Lederer). Payments made this way will likely be pennies on the dollar. Such payments would be made to any qualifying FTP player, not just US players.

The content of the motion to dismiss is insensitive to whether negotiations are continuing. Even if negotiations are continuing, Stars has to make all of its legal arguments as well as it can, or it loses the right to pursue those arguments.

Stars writes its motion to dismiss in the way it did if negotiations were ongoing, or if they have been abandoned. The content of the brief tells us nothing about whether negotiations are ongoing.

The fact that the motion was filed does tell us that there was some sort of problem or delay. The government asked for an extension of deadlines to July 9 in the hopes that they could conclude settlement negotiations by that date. Negotiations were obviously not concluded enough for the parties to go to court saying "we have a deal," and so the parties had to file the motions that were due.

But we don't know whether there was a serious break down in negotiations, whether something trivial happened like a fed ex didn't arrive on time, or whether it was something in between. It's certainly possible Stars decided to fight, but it is also possible that the delay is the result of a lazy fed ex deliveryman. We just don't know.

I bet that was it... It was probably just a FedEx not arriving on time...

Phew!

yeah, I was just making the point. It is clear that as of 6/29 the government thought things were pretty wrapped up tight, but it is also clear it didn't happen. Thousands of possible explanations.

Was Monday day 1 of the wsop or was that sunday?

If the Stars papers are as fantastic as some on here have claimed, and their position so strong, isn't the play to give the DOJ a few days to digest it and then give them a call saying 'We are still ready to settle.'

You are priceless.

Shall we start petition to fire that lazy Fedex deliveryman?

He's a serious muppet, because of him lots of players are still waiting for their money.

This is the way the world ends: not with a bang but a twitter.

tyvm for this clarification

Did someone have a feeling that this Tapie situation was just from start cover up for those guys to lose some heat of them?. Never sounded real to me. If they knew Howard and co that the heat would slow down a bit if they had someone trying to buy the company who knows. It all looks very shady to me and it did from day one as it didnt make much sense this Group Tapie would come in and save the day.

No now **** off you bloody wanker. Im mean Jesus ****in christ mate. A plus effort on being a tosser.

At the core of the Stars MTD is the argument that the actual playing of poker is going on in the IoM. Whan a player connects to the Stars client, he is virtually transported to IoM for purposes of determining where his activity is taking place. It is consistent with the way a lot of countries treat internet transactions. Are you saying the IoM should not have jurisdiction to legislate regarding conduct of foreigners in its terroritory? States are still free to legislate the conduct of their own citizens while those citizens are physically present in that state. Hence, states can legislate to prevent their citizens from connecting to or playing on an extra-state hosted poker site. Most US states have not actually done this.

Tapie was putting up very little money to purchase FTP. If he could have gotten his deal approved it likely would have been super profitable.

Cheers mate.

Extenuating Factors Delaying PokerStars’ FTP Buyout

Somebody should find the CEO of Cardroom Intl and kick him or her in the ass. God damn frivolous pointless lawsuits.

interesting read.... But yes, that CEO of cardroom should just drop it....

I am not sure, I think I said that; it is an estimate based on experience in similar matters.

I tried to think of a more optimistic answer that included judicial intervention for the resolution of these claims. Certainly, a negotiated settlement could occur at anytime and the U.S. could rapidly have marketable title to the assets; but if the claims have to be resolved by the court, I think October 1 is optimistic.

Looking at the prior claim disposed of in this matter, Webb filed his claim on July 15, 2011; the U.S. moved to strike on October 3 and Webb replied on October 17; the Court issued a memo decision and granted the motion on May 9, 2012, a little more than six and a half months after Webb's reply.

After the extension granted in the letter endorsed today, see http://www.scribd.com/doc/99858559/7...er-USAO-Sand-J , the final replies are due August 13, 2012; if the Court takes the same time to issue a decision and order it would be early March 2013, then tack on 30 days for the decision to become final.

I doubt if a second decision would take as long as the Webb decision took, as some of the issues have been researched and decided, but some of the remaining claimants raise new and different issues that require additional research and writing. I think thirty days for a decision would be optimistic, so we are at mid September with thirty days for the appeal time to expire.

Even if the Court issued a decision two days after the replies are due, on August 15, the appeal time would would require waiting to September 15. It makes negotiating a settlement attractive but I can't see anyone wanting to pay the claimants or some of the claimants surrendering their claims for nothing. For example, could you see Bitar giving up any of his claims voluntarily without some written plea agreement in the criminal case? (I'll admit I'm a little confused from seeing some reports that Bitar has agreed to do that and the USAO writing a letter discussing Bitar's pending claims.)

And when you look at the article tamiller866 posted just above, the time frame for dismissing the claims against the seized property is probably insignificant compared to these other stand alone lawsuits.

so ****ing tilting

+1. This thread has been every rivered gutshot combined x 100. So ****ing brutal