The Kahnawake Gaming Commission this week confirmed it was renewing Full Tilt Poker’s secondary licence after it emerged that even though the online poker site’s primary Alderney licence had been suspended, it was still valid.
The Canadian Mohawk territory suspended Full Tilt Poker’s secondary licence at the end of June after the Alderney Gambling Control Commission suspended the company’s primary licence after losing confidence in the way the site was being run after player’s had still not gained access to their accounts after the controversy of Black Friday on the 15th April, 2011.
This added to the summer of woe that Full Tilt Poker was experiencing having seen some of its leading figures caught up in the US Department of Justice’s federal investigation into money-laundering and fraud within a selection of online poker sites that also included Absolute Poker and Pokerstars. Full Tilt Poker also became embroiled in a legal battle with Phil Ivey after he withdrew from the 2011 World Series of Poker in a show of support for the thousands of players who could not attend the event this year due to having significant funds still tied up and inaccessible in Full Tilt Poker accounts.
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission decided to renew Full Tilt Poker’s secondary licence after the Alderney Gambling Control Commission confirmed that even though Full Tilt Poker’s primary licence was suspended, it did remain valid. Kahnawake regulation states that a company cannot have an active secondary licence if the primary licence is not valid. However, clarification from Alderney has given Full Tilt Poker a timely boost.
Only last week the online poker site had its hearing with the Alderney Gambling Control Commission adjourned until 15th September, 2011 to give Full Tilt Poker further opportunity to seek new investment and potential new ownership. Many feel that without this additional investment and possible new ownership, the site will not have its primary licence renewed and it is felt across the board that without the extra investment, Full Tilt Poker may well cease to exist come 15th September, 2011.
However, the news of Kahnawake renewing Full Tilt Poker will only aid its efforts to find new investment and will hopefully increase their chances of securing new ownership in order to give the site the best chance possible of regaining its primary licence. The next month is set to be a very decisive period for a site that was once a leading brand in the online poker industry but is now currently tinkering on the brink of being wiped off the face of the online poker map.
