The Everleaf Gaming Network, a group carrying several moderately popular poker skins, has closed its doors to online gamers in the U.S. and in France. While no formal announcement has been made, players who’ve logged into any of its affiliated rooms have been immediately required to accept a new set of terms and conditions.
The clause in question reads as follows: “18. No person who is resident in Malta, France and USA may open an account, play, or in any other way participate in the ELG offerings and/or services.”
Why the sudden shift in policy? According to a source cited by PartTimePoker.com, Everleaf recently received a cease and desist order from the American government. After an extended discussion the Maltese Lottery and Gaming Authority (the group which holds control of the company’s license), it was decided that the best move would be to withdraw from the market.
As of now, it appears as though American players are still active on the servers of Everleaf, which include such sites as LuvinPoker, TimelessPoker, Minted Poker, and LandsharkPoker. But, after agreeing to the new terms and conditions imposed by the network, one can bet that they won’t be around for long.
The shock of this announcement has already dealt a major blow to the network’s traffic numbers. According to a report by Dan Katz of PokerNewsDaily.com, the population on the day prior to this announcement peaked at 873 in the cash games area. Since, they have gone on to post several of their worst days in recent months.
So, how will the repayment process work? The government has already seized the funds held by one of Everleaf’s American payment processors, but there are reports which claim that the disbursement of player bankrolls should be a relatively quick.
While it’s a shame that such circumstances have come about, it’d certainly be nice to see a clean break here for all parties involved.