[bookie]

I have a balance at PokerStars that I requested after the sites were allowed to open back up. The request went through ok, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I found out the U.S. government is not going to hassle the sites as they make these restitutions.

So I was surprised when I got this weird letter informing me that they'd canceled my payout request:


Hello Bookie

We were very pleased to receive the news that allows US players to cash out their real money balances.

In response to this update, the Cashout Option in the PokerStars Cashier will be temporarily unavailable to allow us to prepare the technical solutions and formulate the plan and processes required to allow you to cash out your balance.

In the interim, any pending cashouts have been returned to your account in order to ensure players have the opportunity to cash out orderly.

Please be assured, player balances are safe. We will notify all US and US territories players as soon as the Cashier is available again.

Providing you with the facility to cash out is our top priority right now, and hopefully all US and US territories players will be able to cash out via the PokerStars Cashier in the near future.

If your account balance is over 4000 USD you will be required to send documentation at cashout stage. In order to avoid delays at that time
we kindly ask you that you scan and email in advance the following two documents to security@pokerstars.eu:

a) A clear photocopy of your government issued photo ID (front and back).

b) A copy of a recent utility bill or bank statement clearly showing your full name, current address and statement date (no older than 3 months).

Please ensure that you clearly state your UserID. If you have already provided the above documents in the past, you are NOT required to send these again.

We apologize for the temporary delay, and sincerely appreciate your patience and cooperation as we continue working towards providing
you with a solution to cash out.

Regards,

PokerStars Security

[John Dough]

Were you not following the situation? You actually expected your withdrawal to be processed?

You should be thrilled that PStars reached an agreement with the DOJ so quickly and are making every effort to return funds as soon as possible. This is seen by 99.99% of the online poker community as good news.

Your take is way off-base. When NETeller froze funds, it took 8 months for US residents to get their money back. PStars is stating they expect to begin processing payouts within a few weeks. You really need to better familiarize yourself with the situation.

[pokernut9999]

The amount of cashouts will take awhile , nothing like they have ever encountered.

[Chopsticks]

Maybe they are stalling? No doubt they have lost millions to the US govt. and they will have to pay out millions again to their players.

I read this on egrmagazine earlier today:
"
According to a release sent out this afternoon, the return is part of a domain-name use agreement designed "to facilitate [the] return of US player funds."
The DoJ adds in today’s statement that it “will work with the poker companies to facilitate the return of funds to players.”
However a statement issued by Full Tilt Poker this afternoon appears to contradict that of the DoJ, or at the very least suggests a resolution is far from imminent, particularly given the assertion that “the government has not agreed to permit any of the seized player funds to be returned to the players.”"


http://www.egrmagazine.com/news/1660...s-return.thtml


That is Full Tilt anyway. But I would think pokerstars are equally pissed and would like to use the seized funds to pay the US players.

Good luck anyway. Lets hope it is not another Neteller.

[bookie]

Were you not following the situation? You actually expected your withdrawal to be processed?

I don't think you're following the timing here. I was surprised that they let me withdraw in the first place. I would have thought once they knew they couldn't pay because their infrastructure got bombed they would have put up a, "Sorry, but..." kind of message when I tried to withdraw. However, my withdrawal request was just like normal--and then two days later they come out with this new set of rules.

It's not a biggie, it's just that Stars is usually so good at seeing around corners i was disappointed to see them start to make stuff up as they went along.

[John Dough]

I don't think you're following the timing here. I was surprised that they let me withdraw in the first place. I would have thought once they knew they couldn't pay because their infrastructure got bombed they would have put up a, "Sorry, but..." kind of message when I tried to withdraw. However, my withdrawal request was just like normal--and then two days later they come out with this new set of rules.

It's not a biggie, it's just that Stars is usually so good at seeing around corners i was disappointed to see them start to make stuff up as they went along.

I'm following the timing, believe me, I have a good reason to. You wanted Stars to cut off the withdrawal option sooner, preventing you from making the request... fair enough, but you still shouldn't have expected it to go through, especially since you admitted to being "surprised" they let you initiate a withdrawal.

As for you wanting them to have seen this coming and handle it better than they are, I think that's a little unreasonable considering the magnitude of what went down on Black Friday.

[Santo]

It sounds like the Full Tilt and Pokerstars statements are in sync. Both have been told they can return funds, but both haven't negotiated precisely how that will be done (through a US-Govt approved bank who is granted an exception to the UIGEA for example), thus both statements are true.

[sq764]

I have a balance at PokerStars that I requested after the sites were allowed to open back up. The request went through ok, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I found out the U.S. government is not going to hassle the sites as they make these restitutions.

So I was surprised when I got this weird letter informing me that they'd canceled my payout request:


Hello Bookie

We were very pleased to receive the news that allows US players to cash out their real money balances.

In response to this update, the Cashout Option in the PokerStars Cashier will be temporarily unavailable to allow us to prepare the technical solutions and formulate the plan and processes required to allow you to cash out your balance.

In the interim, any pending cashouts have been returned to your account in order to ensure players have the opportunity to cash out orderly.

Please be assured, player balances are safe. We will notify all US and US territories players as soon as the Cashier is available again.

Providing you with the facility to cash out is our top priority right now, and hopefully all US and US territories players will be able to cash out via the PokerStars Cashier in the near future.

If your account balance is over 4000 USD you will be required to send documentation at cashout stage. In order to avoid delays at that time
we kindly ask you that you scan and email in advance the following two documents to security@pokerstars.eu:

a) A clear photocopy of your government issued photo ID (front and back).

b) A copy of a recent utility bill or bank statement clearly showing your full name, current address and statement date (no older than 3 months).

Please ensure that you clearly state your UserID. If you have already provided the above documents in the past, you are NOT required to send these again.

We apologize for the temporary delay, and sincerely appreciate your patience and cooperation as we continue working towards providing
you with a solution to cash out.

Regards,

PokerStars Security

i dont see the problem here.. theyre being forced to cashout millions to us players.. i would give them a bit to prepare for the volume

[vegasinfom]

http://www.pokerstars.com/usaplayers/faq/

[MBENZ]

I wouldn't trust a damn thing the DOJ says.They played the same song and dance at the beginning of the BOS fiasco.How did that work out?

[Santo]

Difference is that BOS didn't continue/want to continue as an ongoing entity.

[John Dough]

I wouldn't trust a damn thing the DOJ says.They played the same song and dance at the beginning of the BOS fiasco.How did that work out?

One HUGE difference... BOS went out of business. Pokerstars isn't going anywhere and is worth WAAAAAAY more than BOS ever was.

[MBENZ]

One HUGE difference... BOS went out of business. Pokerstars isn't going anywhere and is worth WAAAAAAY more than BOS ever was.

I understand that,I hope the poker cos. make it right.My point is you can't trust the DOJ in helping.Hathaway was running her chops about us BOS players being paid with confiscated funds.It didn't happen,believe me it didn't happen.

[BWest]

I'm sure you will get every penny Pokerstars has promised you.

[mojomaker11]

That is a tough situation. Hope you get your money.

[John Dough]

I'm sure you will get every penny Pokerstars has promised you.

You'd get plenty of takers if you wanted to bet people that they wouldn't.

People who make posts like this clearly aren't well-informed on the situation.

[John Dough]

I understand that,I hope the poker cos. make it right.My point is you can't trust the DOJ in helping.Hathaway was running her chops about us BOS players being paid with confiscated funds.It didn't happen,believe me it didn't happen.

That's part of the difference, Stars has the ability and a good reason (future business) to pay US players, not from seized funds, but from non-seized funds.

BOS closed up shop, giving them no incentive to pay anyone even if they could.