The scandals keep coming in the online poker world. Just when you think it couldn’t get any worse, karma hits the industry with a fucking gut-shot on the river.
The major events of recent weeks are as follows – the second biggest poker site in the world (Full Tilt Poker) was shut down to players world-wide; Phil Ivey, the biggest (and best) poker star in the world attempted to sue Full Tilt for 100 million dollars for reputational damage; rumours swirled of unethical and illegal activities being undertaken by owners and partners of the Full tilt company; and finally, credible reports surfaced that Ivey is dropping the lawsuit so he can turn around and buy the company.
But first, let us cast our eye to the other side of the world. To a tiny speck off the coast of the UK called Alderney. Alderney is one of those dodgy, vaguely autonomous pretend-countries that attract all sorts of big corporations by offering next-to-zero in the way of taxes; you know, like Bermuda or Costa Rica. Alderney is just like these countries, expect for the sun, beaches or any other identifiable reason to travel there.
It’s about 2 km long and 5km wide with a population of 2400. It’s the Nauru of the English Channel. Due in part to the people of fair Alderney’s taste for wine, the island is commonly described as “two thousand alcoholics clinging to a rock”.
But that’s not all; this little island is also the home of the Alderney Gambling Control Commission. The AGCC has responsibility for regulating none other than Full Tilt Poker, whom decided in their wisdom to house their corporate headquarters on this delightful little tax-haven slash brewery. It is this Commission that recently shut down Full Tilt to the rest of the world.
Think about that. Whatever Full Tilt has done, it has been so bad that the Alderney Gaming Control Commission suspended Full Tilt’s license. I’m stunned – the members of the board of Full Tilt could have been pictured running through the streets of London, setting fire to police cars and stealing sneakers from the Foot Locker, and I doubt AGCC would have even blinked.
But somehow, somewhere, out of the public eye, Full Tilt has done something so dodgy the AGCC has been forced to act. Previously, it had only been shut down to US players (by the US Department of Justice); now the rest of the clientele has had its money locked up and the tables closed.