Online poker site reopens to allow withdrawals

THE Irish-registered online poker site closed to US customers last week over investigations into money laundering and fraud, has been temporarily reopened to allow punters withdraw millions of dollars in tied-up funds.

It emerged last week that the three biggest online poker operators in the US — the Dublin-registered Full Tilt Poker, the Isle of Man-based PokerStars and Absolute Poker, registered in Antigua — were shut down to American users by the US Department of Justice investigating alleged instances of fraud.

Full Tilt is registered in Ireland, headquartered in Dublin and sponsors many leading professional and international poker tournaments.