Poker's biggest superstar, Phil Ivey, has filed a lawsuit in Las Vegas in hopes of spurring his online poker sponsor to repay player funds in limbo since it was targeted in a federal gambling crackdown.
County court records in Las Vegas show Ivey filed suit Wednesday against Tiltware LLC, a company tied to online poker operator Full Tilt Poker.
Ivey said in a statement late Tuesday that he was filing suit to spur Full Tilt to quickly repay funds in customer accounts. Ivey, one of poker's most decorated stars, also said he would protest by not playing in this year's World Series of Poker. The series that started Tuesday is poker's biggest showcase.
Ivey's lawyer, David Chesnoff, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment from The Associated Press.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
Poker's biggest superstar, Phil Ivey, says he's skipping the World Series of Poker because he's disappointed and embarrassed that his sponsor, Full Tilt Poker, hasn't paid back player deposits after pulling out of the U.S. market.
"I wholeheartedly refuse to accept non-action as to repayment of players' funds and I am angered that people who have supported me throughout my career have been treated so poorly," Ivey said in a statement posted on his Facebook page and website late Tuesday.
Seven executives and others tied to Full Tilt were indicted in April as part of a federal crackdown of online poker operators, including PokerStars and Absolute Poker. Since then, the sites have made deals to begin repaying customer money in online accounts, but only PokerStars has started refunds.
Attempts to reach Full Tilt were not immediately successful. Five days after the indictments, when Full Tilt announced an agreement toward repaying players, the company said it was a first step in a process that still had significant practical and legal obstacles, including the lack of an authorized payment channel to make refunds.
Ivey, an eight-time gold bracelet winner at the series who has a high-stakes poker room named after him in Sin City, is widely considered the game's best player — legendary for his gambling and fairly private nature. Ivey didn't enter a $25,000 buy-in heads up tournament on Tuesday, the series' opener. He has cashed 42 times at the series since 2000, earning $5.3 million, including a seventh place finish in 2009 at the no-limit Texas Hold `em main event, poker's richest tournament.
Ivey said in his statement that he has sued Tiltware LLC, a company tied to Full Tilt. But it's not immediately clear where the lawsuit has been filed. Electronic court records in Las Vegas showed no open cases involving Ivey or Tiltware, while federal court records nationwide did not show any cases filed by Ivey.
"I sincerely hope this statement will ignite those capable of resolving the problems into immediate action," Ivey said. "Until a solution is reached that cements the security of all players, both U.S. and international, I will, as I have for the last six weeks, dedicate the entirety of my time and efforts to finding a solution for those who have been wronged by the painfully slow process of repayment."
Attempts to reach Ivey were not immediately successful Wednesday.
County court records in Las Vegas show Ivey filed suit Wednesday against Tiltware LLC, a company tied to online poker operator Full Tilt Poker.
Ivey said in a statement late Tuesday that he was filing suit to spur Full Tilt to quickly repay funds in customer accounts. Ivey, one of poker's most decorated stars, also said he would protest by not playing in this year's World Series of Poker. The series that started Tuesday is poker's biggest showcase.
Ivey's lawyer, David Chesnoff, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment from The Associated Press.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
Poker's biggest superstar, Phil Ivey, says he's skipping the World Series of Poker because he's disappointed and embarrassed that his sponsor, Full Tilt Poker, hasn't paid back player deposits after pulling out of the U.S. market.
"I wholeheartedly refuse to accept non-action as to repayment of players' funds and I am angered that people who have supported me throughout my career have been treated so poorly," Ivey said in a statement posted on his Facebook page and website late Tuesday.
Seven executives and others tied to Full Tilt were indicted in April as part of a federal crackdown of online poker operators, including PokerStars and Absolute Poker. Since then, the sites have made deals to begin repaying customer money in online accounts, but only PokerStars has started refunds.
Attempts to reach Full Tilt were not immediately successful. Five days after the indictments, when Full Tilt announced an agreement toward repaying players, the company said it was a first step in a process that still had significant practical and legal obstacles, including the lack of an authorized payment channel to make refunds.
Ivey, an eight-time gold bracelet winner at the series who has a high-stakes poker room named after him in Sin City, is widely considered the game's best player — legendary for his gambling and fairly private nature. Ivey didn't enter a $25,000 buy-in heads up tournament on Tuesday, the series' opener. He has cashed 42 times at the series since 2000, earning $5.3 million, including a seventh place finish in 2009 at the no-limit Texas Hold `em main event, poker's richest tournament.
"I sincerely hope this statement will ignite those capable of resolving the problems into immediate action," Ivey said. "Until a solution is reached that cements the security of all players, both U.S. and international, I will, as I have for the last six weeks, dedicate the entirety of my time and efforts to finding a solution for those who have been wronged by the painfully slow process of repayment."
Attempts to reach Ivey were not immediately successful Wednesday.
