Online Gambling Winners, Losers & No-Longer-In-Business: 2011 Edition

FBI Seizes Major Poker Domains
This was perhaps one of the scariest gambling headlines of 2011.Ever since the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) came into the picture, the legal status of online gambling in the US has been ambiguous. Some argue that the act bans online gambling, some others say it only forbids financial transactions with online gambling operators, and US courts seem to each interpret the act their own way.
In April 2011, the US Department of Justice used the FBI for the seizure of online gambling domains of the three largest poker sites catering services in the country. Full Tilt Poker, Pokerstars, and Absolute Poker/Ultimate Bet (CEREUS Network) were no longer allowed to offer gaming services to US customers.
This was a huge scandal as it is hard to imagine the amount of money that was taken off players’ hands in the move. Players saw their winnings disappear and did not know when or if they would hear from them again. The issue is still being settled, and the companies managed the disaster fairly decently.