FBI targeting Full Tilt?

[The Buzz]

There are a number of rumors floating around various message boards and blogs that the FBI might be investigating the activities of Full Tilt Poker in Washington state.

As with most rumors that deal with poker, it originated on the 2+2 poker forums.

That thread can be found here:

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/57...out-ft-716470/

RecentPoker is one of a number of sites with a write-up of the situation:

2/22/10 - As yet unconfirmed reports circulating on the popular poker message board twoplustwo suggest that FBI agents may be probing the activities of the Full Tilt Poker site, online poker's second largest and global provider of Internet poker.

The fact that agents have allegedly been contacting players in the state of Washington, the only state where draconian anti-online gambling measures directly target the player, has been noted, although as far as is known none of those contacted has been warned that charges may be pending.

The visits may not be aimed at prosecuting players at all, say some observers, but a preparation for the implementation of the UIGEA by enforcement agencies. The UIGEA regulations come into force on June 1st 2010 following a controversial postponement last year, and there is speculation that the reported FBI enquiries are more related to going after transactions with Full Tilt rather than individual players.

Players who were visited unannounced by the agents appeared to confirm this view, saying that the agents were almost exclusively interested in how transactions with Full Tilt worked. Several felt that the enquiries suggested an information-seeking intention, perhaps indicating that a case was being assembled to short-circuit financial transactions with the online poker provider once the UIGEA is in effect.

[nitro]

Even if they wanted to it'd be silly to make a federal case out of this against someone from Washington when I'm pretty sure state law there makes playing online poker a felony and if they really wanted to it'd be a lot easier to win in Washington state court.

Welcome to the land of the "free". The general american public and their media are already retarded to that degree that they'll applaud to this kind of measures.

[Anthony]

Our good friend JTodd is quite aware of the crack-downs in Washington state.

Looks like they are trying to get to the payment processors through the players. Remember, playing online poker in Washington state is a Felony.

[Anthony]

Welcome to the land of the "free".

"Free" for the Government to do whatever they want with no regard to the will of the people. We have plenty of that kind of "free".

[Seothug]

Washington is not a state. is that the issue here?
full tilt poker is on the radar for a long time now.

[dhayman]

Washington is not a state. is that the issue here?
full tilt poker is on the radar for a long time now.

No silly, this is Washington State, not Washington D.C.