The Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) has announced that it is to commission
an independent, external review of its actions and processes leading up to the
suspension of the licenses belonging to the companies trading as Full Tilt Poker.
The AGCC revoked the licenses of Full Tilt Poker's operations with immediate
effect on September 29, 2011, after it was found at a tribunal that the poker
provider had contravened several rules and fabricated information regarding
the company's financial situation to mislead the regulator.
The revocation of the company's licenses follows US authorities' allegations
that Full Tilt Poker, along with two other gambling operators, created sham
payment-processing frameworks to unlawfully provide internet gambling services
to the United States market.
Under the terms of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of
2006, offshore operators are effectively blocked from access to the lucrative
US internet gambling market. Specifically, the Act prohibits gambling businesses
from knowingly accepting payments in connection with unlawful internet gambling,
including payments made through credit cards, electronic funds transfers, and
checks.
The AGCC said the decision to launch a review was to provide full transparency.
It will be undertaken by Peter Dean, the former Chairman of the British Gambling
Commission.
André Wilsenach, AGCC Executive Director, stated:
“As soon as we became aware that there were possible irregularities in
relation to FTP’s operational integrity AGCC acted to discharge fully
our statutory obligations.”
‘We believe we acted appropriately and fairly at all times but, following
our own internal assessment and the inevitable questions that have been raised
by third parties, the Commission decided that it is in the best interests of
players, licence holders and AGCC itself to commission an independent review
and to make the outcome public.”
“I am delighted that Peter Dean has agreed to conduct the review. He
has many years of experience at the top of the British Gambling Commission and
commands wide respect from operators and regulators alike. He has been asked
to review fully the actions taken by AGCC in respect of FTP and to focus specifically
on the appropriateness, timeliness and fairness of those actions.”
Dean has been asked to present a final report and recommendations to the Commission
by the end of March 2012.
OFFSHORE-E-COM.COM
