Absolute Poker and its sister site UB.com have refused to bow to pressure exerted on them by the Department of Justice and continue to operate in the United States. According to these two sites, while cash outs, deposits or funds transfers are currently not permitted, US players are still allowed to play for real money on the CEREUS Network.
In a statement issued by Absolute Poker this week, it was stated: “At this time, Absolute Poker’s top priority is, and must be, the refund of balances to its and UB’s US players. However, given the far-reaching consequences of the US Attorney’s actions for Absolute Poker and for the entire poker community, Absolute Poker believes that the responsible course of action is to review with its attorneys the relevant court filings before taking any action.”
As such, Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet have refused to cooperate with the Department of Justice concerning procedures to return funds to anxious players.
It seems that Absolute Poker has decided to stand its ground against the Department of Justice due to the support it is receiving from the Antigua government, where the site is based. This week, Minister of Finance in the dual state island of Antigua and Barbuda, Harold Lovell, expressed his concern that the US government continues to prosecute non domestic suppliers of remote gaming services which is, he said, “a clear contravention of international law.”
“I am not aware of any other situation where a member of the World Trade Organization has subjected persons to criminal prosecution under circumstances where the WTO has expressly ruled that to do so is in breach of international law,” said Lovell.
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