Categories: Poker News
| Published On Feb 25, 2017 2:20 pm CET  |  Updated on May 2, 2021 11:56 am CEST | By iGaming Team

Internet Poker Company Founder Pleads Not Guilty in U.S. Case

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The founder of a prominent online poker website who was charged for illegal operations in the USA has confronted the accusations Thursday.

The case against Scott Tom and his Costa Rica-based Absolute Poker has long-standing history and revolves around charges of violating federal online gaming legislation and money laundering.

Mr Scott, who lives in Antigua, was released on a $500,000 bail following a court hearing. This Thursday he came to the United States to plead not guilty in the case. He was one of 11 individuals charged with relation to the three largest poker websites Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker and PokerStars operating on the US market. The clampdown took place following the ban on real-money gambling Congress imposed on internet card games in 2006.

The companies were charged with processing billions of dollars of illicit internet gambling money through shell companies that were legitimate on the surface. Before closing down in 2011, Absolute Poker had ranked third among online poker operators on the territory of the US and was reported by prosecutors to have obtained approximately $500 million from U.S. residents.