The Garden City Group (GCG) is the official administrator that has the responsibility of overseeing the claims process for Full Tilt Poker’s US players. Former poker players as well as affiliates have anxiously been waiting for their accounts to be cleared. GCG had earlier confirmed that it had kick started the claims process for poker players but as far as affiliates were concerned they were ineligible for any reimbursement.
GCG had earlier said that it would be selective in its reimbursement process as many players had also signed up as affiliates and hence would not be eligible for any reimbursement.
The company released a statement in August 2012 stating that no payments owed to affiliates would be honoured and also did not confirm if the individual balances of the player’s accounts would be refunded.
Recently, an email was released by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) vice president of player relations Rich Muny. The email went on to say that money in accounts that belong to affiliates would not be returned, with past or present employees (Team Full Tilt players; shareholders, directors or executive officers of the operator’s parent companies and those named in the Black Friday indictments) also deemed ineligible.
However, GCG recently changed its stance on the affiliate’s reimbursement and said that affiliates can also go ahead and submit their claims. GCG released a statement saying that affiliates will be able
to recover the portion of their account balances that does not relate to their affiliate status.
GCG has suddenly changed its stance and has now confirmed that it will go ahead and refund US affiliate accounts from the $547m fund that was forfeited to the Department of Justice by PokerStars owner Rational Group, after it had acquired Full Tilt in July 2012.
GCG had earlier confirmed that for players who had normal accounts, they had to file their claims before the 16th of Nov 2013. This deadline is not applicable for affiliate accounts as GCG has confirmed that it will first do a thorough review of all account data and then determine who are eligible for a refund. Once this is complete, it will then make an official announcement and confirm on the deadline for filing affiliate claims.
Individual players are a bit concerned that there payment might get delayed now that affiliates are also going to be reimbursed. However, GCG confirmed
The filing process for affiliates will not delay the processing or payment of other petitions for remission