The claims administrator handling the US repayment of Full Tilt Poker funds seized by the US Department of Justice is reporting that 30,000 former players will receive $82 million in the first batch of repayments.
The claims are set to begin being paid out at the end of February, and will begin rectifying the accounts which were frozen almost three years ago. The $82 million figure may seem high, but it pales in comparison to the roughly $300 million that is alleged to have been seized by the US Government on Black Friday.
Players who do not dispute the amount of money in their accounts will get paid first, while those disputing the amount available will have their cases reviewed next. Affiliate marketers and poker pros will be dealt with soon after.
Casino Listings readers will recall that the US government seized several online poker sites back in April 2011, effectively shutting down Absolute Poker, Full Tilt, and dealing a heavy blow to PokerStars. A year later, PokerStars cleared its legal slate with the government by striking a deal which saw it forking out a huge sum in order to take over Full Tilt Poker, clear itself of any wrongdoing, and repay players affected by the closure.