Poker Payment Processor Says No To The DOJ

The US Department of Justice has been able to bully every online gambling operator or individual into accepting a plea bargain or a settlement to avoid stiff criminal penalties until now. Daniel Tzvetkoff, an Australian payment processor that processed over $500 million in online poker transactions has entered a not guilty plea in the DOJ’s case against him.

Tzvetkoff plans to fight the DOJ to the end because he claims that poker is not gambling and therefore he wasn’t processing any illegal gambling transactions. The DOJ reached a settlement with Party Gaming, a plea deal with a Canadian payment processor, and they even prosecuted the CEO of BetOnSports, an online sports betting operator.

It’s good to see someone plead not guilty and fight the charges against them. Many in the online gambling industry will likely come to Tzvetkoff’s defense when his trial begins. The verdict of the case could set a precedent for online poker in the US, and even settle the argument of whether the DOJ could actually win a case against online gambling when the laws in the US are vague.