The U.S. government has asked several banks to block transactions between online poker rooms and American players. $ 33 million were frozen, preventing nearly 24,000 players to collect their earnings from major poker sites like PokerStars or Full Tilt Poker. This aggressive initiative represents the most disturbing offensive in the “war” between the federal government and online poker rooms.

Under the UIGEA, which prohibits Americans from playing poker online, prosecutors of the Department of Justice have ordered several banks, including Citibank and Wells Fargo, to freeze all transactions between the operators and their clients. The interdiction concerns all the clients having requested the receipt of their earnings.

In a letter sent to banks, prosecutors have called the money duly earned by players as “property involved in transactions of money laundering and crimes of illegal gambling”.

According to several sources, the Court of the Southern District of New York has asked several banks to freeze the equivalent of $ 19 million. Wells Fargo received an order for seizure of $ 14 million, identified as coming from online gambling operators. The sources confirm that the decision affected 24.000 accounts and blocked $ 33 million altogether.

For now, the banks have obeyed the prosecutors’ injunction, but many legal gaps could create a complicated situation for the government. Indeed, several legal consultants intend to call on that the online poker operators are only the depositories of this money that don’t belong to them. Unlike sports betting, online poker is a transaction between two people on the principle of “peer-to-peer”. This argument is quite valid for cash games, but it couldn’t withstand as to poker tournaments. In all cases, it is impossible for banks to make such a subtle difference. And this can turn against US justice. Moreover, one thing is certain: if the government wants to mobilize the poker players, it just has to attack them where it hurts: in their wallets!

According to John Pappas, CEO of Poker Player Alliance (PPA), whose mission is to defend the poker players’ rights, the injunction to the banks is an “unprecedented action”. Pappas promises the organization he is leading will use all legal means for protecting the players’ accounts and their right to play online.