DOJ May Have Deal in Place For Sale of Full Tilt Poker

According to a Thursday article on CNNMoney, a deal was reached between Groupe Bernard Tapie (GBT) and the US Department of Justice.  The article claimed that this deal was brokered by the DOJ and cleared the way for GBT to purchase Full Tilt Poker.  The article however was taken down quickly after it was put up.

An article on CBS news however has also posted an AP story that also claims that a preliminary agreement has been reached with prosecutors. According to Benham Dayanim, a lawyer for Groupe Bernard Tapie, he has a letter signed by the U.S. attorney’s office that could bring the sale of Full Tilt to fruition.

This may help get gamblers both overseas and in the U.S. get their money back. Dayanim claims thought that, “There’s nothing tremendously fixed in stone. It’s the first step in a process,” Dayanim added. “What it provides is that if the Full Tilt companies agree to forfeit their assets to the United States, the United States will sell those assets to Groupe Bernard Tapie.”

According to Jeff Ifrah, a lawyer for Full Tilt CEO Raymond Bitar, there is a lot to be optimistic about with this deal that will allow the group to pay $80m for the online poker company that has been in a freefall since the DoJ leveled indictments against them.

According to the proposed deal, The Tapie group will pay all players outside the United States, players within the United States would have to file a claim with the Department of Justice. According to Dayanim;

“I’m optimistic that this deal will go forward. This deal offers the surest path toward compensation for players and toward restarting the site as a European-facing poker site.”