Recently, the Alderney Gambling Control Commission announced that they will be reconvening the licensing trial of Full Tilt Poker on September 19th. While this is after the originally set date of September 15th, the delay is minimal. However, the AGCC announced today that the trial will be “in camera,” which means that the session will be held in private.
Full Tilt hearing to be closed to the public.
Per Andre Wilsenach, the Executive Director for the AGCC, “I am pleased that the FTP hearing will continue as scheduled, as was argued on my behalf. However, I am disappointed with the tribunal’s decision that, notwithstanding my arguments to the contrary, the hearing will be held in private. I believe the public has a right to know the reasoning behind the decisions to suspend FTP’s licenses and call a hearing, and to hear the evidence that will be put forward on my behalf. It is my understanding that the tribunal conducted a difficult balancing exercise of the interests of the various parties, taking into account the legal arguments for and against further postponing the hearing, and for and against allowing the public to attend the proceedings.”
The trial will be held this coming Monday, the 19th of September at the Riverbank Park Plaza Hotel in London, England. The trial is being held to determine whether the AGCC will unsuspend Full Tilt Poker’s operating license. The license was suspended due to the charges brought against the site in connection with Black Friday.
Part of the purpose of delaying the trial until September was to give Full Tilt the chance to secure a financial partner to help it repay money owed to U.S. players. At present, Full Tilt has been unable to secure a partner and has recently hired Sea Port Group Securities, LLC to be its financial advisor and to help the company acquire a financial partner.
While evidence has not been provided to support the assumption, this reporter believes that unless Full Tilt can provide substantial proof of a pending deal, they will not get their license back. Of course, the AGCC has the final say in the matters and will determine this on Monday.