Amicus Brief Filed By PPA In Accounts Services Case

The Poker Players Alliance have come to the assistance of Accounts Services who in June had $13 million of online player’s money seized by the US government, under direction of the Southern District of New York.
The PPA, with over 1.2 million members, represents the will of poker players across the US, and have now filed a motion to submit an amicus brief demonstrating that poker is a game of skill and thus should not be treated as gambling in the eye of the law.
An amicus brief is a document filed by an organisation or individual not directly involved in the case but who’s testimony is accepted by the court as being useful to the case.The amicus brief motion, filed by the PPA, draws attention to the fact that Account Services “is not in the best position to present arguments and evidence as to why poker is a game of skill and thus not prohibited under federal or state law.”
John Pappas, the Executive Director of the PPA said:  “As the voice of online poker players, PPA should be granted the opportunity to provide evidence and legal briefings on why online poker is a game of predominant skill and not considered illegal gambling under the law.”
Accounts Services filed a motion for the return of their funds back in June and asserted that poker is not illegal gambling, that the companies fourth and fifth amendment rights had been violated, that it would suffer irreparable injury if the property is not returned and that the US government has already caused it irreparable injury when it unlawfully seized the funds in ASC’s Wells Fargo and Union Bank accounts.
The PPA’s involvement in the case will come as welcome news for Accounts Services, particularly as they are involved in many court cases around the country and have already successfully argued their case in Pennsylvania, Colorado, and South Carolina which have declared poker a game of skill.