Seattle Feds and prosecutors have moved to seize $553,000 from Secure Money Inc., a Canadian company which they allege has been processing and facilitating payments to online poker players in Washington State.
It was all part of a sting, including undercover agents and the whole nine. Secure Money Inc. was identified by prosecutors to have sent payments to Washington poker players using online gambling sites in violation of state law. According to the legal documents prosecutors contend Secure Money Inc. paid out poker players after they won money playing online and that the checks labeled as “payroll” payments, were then mailed to players.
Given the legal rulings and the decision by the Washington State Supreme court to uphold the online gambling ban in the state, really it was only a matter of time before the raids began. You have to feel for those Washington State residents, not just because they’re not able to gamble online but because those who just want to get their money out of accounts are now being screwed over as well. It may be the case they have had money in accounts for years and due to the new laws, they’re just trying to cash out and be done with it, now it seems they run a serious risk in trying to do just that. As if financial times aren’t hard enough.
