eGaming Review May 2012 | Page 45

FEATURE POKER: A NEW HOPE 31 October 2 Nov 7 Nov 17 Nov 5 Dec 2011 Absolute Poker presents repayment plan to US Department of Justice 2011 Groupe Bernard Tapie reaches repayment agreement in principle with DoJ; talks with Full Tilt continue 2011 SunFirst Bank, formerly part-owned by indictee John Campos, enters receivership 2011 GBT claims to have agreed a fee of US$80m with DoJ for Full Tilt Poker acquisition 2011 PokerStars breaks world record for number of players in one online tournament 11 Jan 2012 PokerStars launches ?rst realmoney iPhone app in Italy. UK version follows 4 Jan 20 Dec 2012 PokerStars awarded Belgian licence, to go with Danish licence awarded in December 2011 Absolute Poker head of payments Brent Beckley pleads guilty and admits to deceiving banks 15 Dec 7 Dec 2011 Groupe Bernard Tapie hands in ‘last-minute’ application for licence in newly regulating Spanish market 2011 AGCC appoints former UK Gambling Commission chair for external review into conduct over FTP 28 Feb 23 March 26 March 2012 GBT extends its deadline with Full Tilt, remains con?dent of completing a deal for the operator 2012 Full Tilt subsidiary Orinic, whose licence had only been suspended, applies for new Alderney licence 2012 Chad Elie changes plea to guilty; admits charges including conspiracy to commit bank fraud 27 March 27 March 2012 AGCC external review published - calls FTP episode ‘deplorable’ but accepts that due process was followed 2012 John Campos reaches plea deal, meaning 9 April trial, due to take place in Manhattan, is postponed WARNING SIGNS April 3 April 29 March 2012 Laurent Tapie named as a director of Irishincorporated company ‘New Full Tilt Ltd’, later renamed Gcubed Ltd 2012 Full Tilt’s technology and marketing company Pocket Kings places advertisement for new jobs in Ireland 2012 Judge Lewis Kaplan delays Campos deal and questions why US government would “walk away from the case” www.egrmagazine.com 45