Poker Year in Review

1. BLACK FRIDAY
On Friday, April 15, the Department of Justice seized most of the major online poker domains as part of their investigation into alleged violations of banking and gambling laws across the industry. This move forever altered the landscape of the poker world and, effectively, shut down the American online gaming market. Player accounts were frozen; Americans who made their living playing online were out of work; and, several top names in the industry were facing serious charges.
Since that dark day, events in the poker world have moved at a breakneck speed. Within days of the indictment, major sites like Pokers Stars and Full Tilt Poker worked out deals with the DOJ to reclaim their domains and serve the international market. They’ve also been working with the DOJ to repay American player the funds from their now-frozen accounts.
And the hits just kept coming, as recently as a few weeks ago more indictments were filed against industry insiders in this very complicated case.
Besides effectively shutting down the American online poker business, the DOJ’s moves set into motion a quiet, but aggressive, lobbying effort to classify poker as a game of skill and legalize it in the States.
Besides effectively shutting down the American online poker business, the DOJ’s moves set into motion a quiet, but aggressive, lobbying effort to classify poker as a game of skill and legalize it in the States.
Virtually every event that took place in the poker world since April have been impacted in one way or another by the poker world’s Pearl Harbor.