WASHINGTON (AP) -An advocacy group for online poker said Tuesday that the federal government has frozen more than $30 million in the accounts of payment processors that handle the winnings of thousands of online poker players.
The Justice Department long has maintained that Internet gambling is illegal, a view that the poker group challenges.
In a letter dated Friday and faxed to Alliance Bank, the prosecutor said accounts held by payment processor Allied Systems Inc. are subject to seizure and forfeiture ''because they constitute property involved in money laundering transactions and illegal gambling offenses.'' The letter was signed by Arlo Devlin-Brown, assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.
In another letter faxed the same day, Devlin-Brown asks that the bank treat the funds ''as legally seized'' by the FBI, saying that the government has probable cause that the gambling payments of U.S. residents had been directed to offshore illegal Internet gambling businesses.
''The FBI has authority to seize proceeds of specified unlawful activity without a warrant under exigent circumstances,'' wrote Devlin-Brown - a process criticized by the Poker Players Alliance.
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Why can't all of you people just learn to do what you are told and stop gambling? We told you on-line gamblers to quit, but you didn't. You resisted like disobedient little children. Now after we take all of your precious money from you, maybe you will learn to OBEY! The word is out. Stop gambling right now or every last dime will be taken from you. This is America! Learn to Obey!
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