Full Tilt Poker Shut Down

Update 25th April 2012
Hopes of an imminent resolution have been dashed after it was announced the Department of Justice (DoJ) and GBT have failed to agree..
Update 18th April 2012
Rumours are beginning to abound that Full Tilt Poker may be readying soon for a relaunch after the website’s system status went briefly “operational” and…
Update 4th April 2012
The latest information to create a new round of optimistic speculation is the fact Full Tilt subsidiary Pocket Kings Ltd has now started advertising for a number of new positions in the company’s …
 Update 15th March 2012
According to reports coming from two gaming news sources, the sale of Full Tilt Poker to French investment company Groupe Bernard Tapie (GBT) is imminent and could be finalized as early as this week.
Update 12th Feb 2012
A number of Full Tilt Pros apparently still owe up to $20 million to the poker site which, although not the only reason for the delay in negotiations with the DOJ, is nevertheless seen as a “substantial” one.
Update 16th Dec 2011
The deal between Full Tilt Poker (FTP) and Group Bernard Tapie (GBT) took another step closer to completion after Full Tilt shareholders reportedly voted in favour of an $80 million assets transfer to the French company. Nevertheless, the U.S. Department of Justice…
Update 02 Oct 2011
French investment company ‘Groupe Bernard Tapie’ has signed an exclusive agreement with Full Tilt to acquire the poker room and its assets, while saying the repayment of customers was a priority for the investors.
Update 29 Sept 2011
A week after the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) resumed Full Tilt Poker’s suspended licence hearing, the Commission has now decided to revoke the poker room’s licence all together
Update 20 Sept 2011
The Full Tilt Story seems to be reaching its ultimate conclusion as the Alderney Gaming Control Commission (AGCC) hearing finally resumed yesterday at the Riverbank Park Plaza Hote in London.
Update 27 July 2011
The long awaited hearing in which Full Tilt Poker was to discover whether the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) would restore its gaming licence has ended before it even got going.
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Do you live in the United States? Do you play on Full Tilt Poker? If so, you’ve probably noticed some unusual things going on with both the Full Tilt website and Full Tilt’s software. Perhaps you’ve already heard the buzz: Full Tilt Poker has blocked American traffic indefinitely.You’ve probably got some questions regarding this situation. Can I still play at Full Tilt Poker from the US? Can I play online poker anywhere? Is this the end of online poker?
Read on for some answers or you can check out some of the US online poker rooms not effected by the Full Tilt shut down.
Did Full Tilt Poker Shut Down?
 
In a way, yes, the Full Tilt website is down for most American players. More accurately, the Full Tilt domain has been taken over — by the United States Government. That’s why when you surf to fulltiltpoker.com, you may see an FBI logo rather than  normal poker content.Why the Fed logo? In a nutshell, the FBI has charged the owners of Full Tilt Poker with crimes including wire fraud and money laundering. The FBI has also shut down over 75 payment processors that Full Tilt employed to filter money from the poker site to American banks, in circumvention of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. The FBI was able to seize the Full Tilt domain as a part of the investigation leading to these charges.
More on the charges. 11 defendants are named in an indictment handed out by the U.S. Attorney in Manhattan. The defendants include the founders and owners of Full Tilt, PokerStars, and Absolute Poker. The defendants are charged with counts of running an illegal gambling operation, violating the UIGEA, money laundering and bank/wire fraud. The most severe of these charges carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. You can read more about the poker site domain seizure.
It’s safe to say that this is serious business.
Can US Players Sign Up at Full Tilt Poker?
 
No, U.S. players can’t sign up at Full Tilt right now — at least not to play real money games. Given all the legal heat aimed at the site and its processors, Full Tilt has decided to avoid the American market for the time being.
You won’t be able to register a new real money account using a U.S. address. If you’re looking to play online poker in the U.S., you’re best off at sites other than Full Tilt.
Can U.S. Players Deposit at Full Tilt Poker?
 
If you already have an account at Full Tilt and want to deposit, you’re out of luck. The site won’t be processing any deposits from U.S. players for a little while.Since many payment processors got tangled up in the legal mess, Full Tilt poker lost a great deal of transaction processing power in the U.S. We shouldn’t expect to be able to deposit for a while.
Can US Players Play Real Money Games at Full Tilt?
 
Nope — Americans are now locked out of the real money tables at Full Tilt. If you try to sit in at a table, you’ll be shown a popup explaining why you can’t sit in at the table. Frustrating, to say the least. But unfortunately, this is the hand we’ve been dealt — U.S. players can’t play for cash at Full Tilt right now.
Can US Players Play Real Money Games Anywhere Else?
 
Yes, US players can still play poker at any number of other poker rooms. The only sites affected by the recent FBI charges are Full Tilt, PokerStars, and Absolute Poker. There are many sites other than these that still accept American players.