MANHATTAN (CN) - The U.S. attorney said Wednesday he reached an agreement by which Absolute Poker, an online poker site, can return money it has on deposit from U.S. players.
Absolute Poker was indicted on April 15, along with PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, on charges of conspiring to commit bank fraud, wire fraud, money laundering and gambling offenses. The companies are the three largest online poker sites that operate in the United States.
Federal prosecutors got a restraining order against the companies, which are accused of making $3 billion from illegal gambling.
Many online poker players panicked at the indictment. Cognoscenti said that some players used their gambling accounts as de facto offshore banks, and the restraining order froze them out.
The U.S. attorney said in a statement that agreements have been made with all three defendants. He added: "As with the other two companies we named in the complaint, Absolute Poker has at all times been free to reimburse any player's deposited funds. This office expects the companies to return the money that U.S. players entrusted to them."
Subscribe to Closing Arguments
Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.