Lock Poker payout issues are a little old hat around the poker industry, but that hasn’t stopped the board of directors at the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) getting into the thick of the action, much to the chagrin of some quarters of the 2+2 community.
What is going on at Lock Poker?
It’s a question that has been asked a thousand times, and ignored by its recipients with just as much gusto.
So why ask it again?
That’s exactly the point of view being aired on the PPA Letter to Lock Poker Demanding Player Repayment thread that has started on 2+2 just recently.
John Pappas, PPA Executive Director, Rich Muny, PPA VP of Player Relations, and Patrick W. Fleming, PPA Litigation Support Director have just penned a letter to the owners, officers and managers of Lock Poker in which they seek a response to several questions that have been repeatedly raised over the past few years.
Well that’s a good thing right?
Well not according the large majority of the 2+2 community who has reacted to the letter with hostility and frustration, which has been met with an equally frustrated response by said letter writer Rich Muny.
In the letter, the PPA informed Lock Poker that they will ‘gladly report to our membership any information you can provide,’ whilst continuing to lambast the site for its lack of mention of the withdrawal issues that are quite clearly so prevalent.
‘The Lock Poker website has no mention of these significant delays. To the contrary, as of today Lock Poker support is telling potential new depositors that withdrawal requests take eight to ten weeks to process, with some experiencing longer withdrawal times.’
A show of empathy is also laid out when the PPA states, ‘PPA is well aware of the difficulties inherent in transferring money to and from poker players in the US,’ before moving on to query why some players get paid, some are waiting for months, and other seemingly never getting paid.
Finally, there is a veiled threat, which carries about as much weight as a malnourished Dominik Nitsche, when the PPA state, ‘The undersigned Board Members have discussed simply issuing direct warnings to all our members concerning the Lock Poker situation, but before deciding whether to take such action it was agreed that Lock Poker should first be offered the opportunity to communicate its policies and situation.’
Not sure they need the warning guys, I’m pretty sure they get it.
The letter ends with a request for a response on the following four questions.
1. Does Lock Poker keep players’ funds segregated from operating funds? If so, what mechanism is used to accomplish this separation?
2. Does Lock Poker have, or will it be implementing, a system to organize its payment processing so that those who have been waiting the longest will be given priority in future payments?
3. Does Lock Poker have a timeline of its plan to pay its players in full?
4. Will Lock Poker immediately provide open, accurate, up-to-date information regarding time required to process customer withdrawal requests?
The criticism of the PPA is entirely centered on their lack of involvement in the Lock Poker issue when the players deemed the matter to be most prevalent and in their eyes.
“Seems like beating a dead horse,’ ‘Talk about being a year late,’ and ‘What’s next PPA, a letter to UB/AP?’ Are just a few of the sarcastic whips thrown out to them.
There is also a lot of frustration around Cardplayer’s decision to continue to advertise the site and the lack of movement by the PPA to help further highlight the damage that decision is doing to the poker community, and it’s standing on the Lock Poker issue.
Whilst the PPA may well be a little late attending the party, the fact that they have decided to act does keep the momentum running (something than Mason Malmuth alludes to in the thread).
I also believe that the PPA should be the spearhead for dialogue with Lock Poker, and are far more likely to be successful in their attempts to get someone with Lock Poker towers to open their mouths.
The people are the heart and soul of any organization, but it’s the strength of the collective that makes the organization so much more powerful that the scattered complaints of a cursory few.
So where do you stand on this issue?
Do you say bravo to the PPA for taking action and keeping the momentum going, or do you chastise them for acting far too late in the day?
The full thread can be read here (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/29/news-views-gossip/ppa-letter-lock-poker-demanding-player-repayment-1437672/)
