{"id":6183,"date":"2018-05-10T17:57:09","date_gmt":"2018-05-10T17:57:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/?p=6183"},"modified":"2018-05-11T15:59:20","modified_gmt":"2018-05-11T15:59:20","slug":"wsop-runner-up-files-suit-against-pokerstars-over-confiscated-funds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/wsop-runner-up-files-suit-against-pokerstars-over-confiscated-funds\/","title":{"rendered":"WSOP Runner-Up Files Suit Against PokerStars Over Confiscated Funds"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Last week, Gordon Vayo<\/strong> was probably best known for his runner-up finish in the 2016 WSOP Main Event<\/strong>. That feat earned him $4.66 million<\/strong> of his $6.23 million in live winnings.<\/p>\n

Today, Vayo is the poker player that is suing PokerStars<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Vayo vs. Rational Entertainment Limited dba PokerStars<\/span><\/h2>\n

In May 2017, Vayo won SCOOP Event #1: $1,050 NLH for $692,460<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

One year later a complaint<\/a> was filed with the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The filing states that when Vayo attempted to cash out<\/strong> his online poker account, PokerStars \u201cnotified Mr. Vayo that his account was being frozen for investigation of suspicious activity.\u201d<\/p>\n

The money was deposited into Vayo\u2019s PokerStars<\/strong> account immediately upon winning the tournament. Vayo continued to play on his PokerStars account for the next two months without incident<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The suspicious activity stemmed from Vayo\u2019s location during the tournament. PokerStars prohibits players located in the U.S. from playing on its global site. Vayo, a resident of California<\/strong>, commutes to Canada<\/strong> to play online.<\/p>\n

Following was nearly a year-long investigation where Vayo needed to provide documentation<\/strong> as to his whereabouts. Vayo said he complied and provided the proof requested.<\/p>\n

Even so, PokerStars said it was \u201cnot inconceivable\u201d that Vayo spent part of the SCOOP<\/strong> tournament in the U.S.<\/p>\n

From the court filing:<\/p>\n

\u201c[PokerStars] has engaged in a practice of approving U.S. citizens and residents for play on the PokerStars.com site, allowing and encouraging them to play on the site, happily taking their money \u2013 in many cases for years. Then, after a U.S. citizen or resident wins a significant amount of money on the PokerStars.com site, Defendant conducts a sham investigation into the user\u2019s activities and the location of the user\u2019s access of the site, placing the onus on the player to retroactively prove that it is \u201cinconceivable\u201d that his or her play could have originated from within the United States, in order to gin up a pretext to deny payment.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Where\u2019s the proof Vayo violated TOS?<\/span><\/h2>\n

A six-figure payday is a life-changing amount of money for most. Paying out six figures, however, is not unusual for PokerStars. To claim that the attempt to cash out a large sum triggered the investigation seems at odds with PokerStars\u2019 daily operations.<\/p>\n

PokerStars is claiming that Vayo failed to produce sufficient evidence to alleviate its suspicion that he was in the U.S. during part of the tournament.<\/p>\n

In the court filing, Vayo admitted to using and having trouble with a Virtual Private Network<\/strong> (VPN). VPN\u2019s provide anonymity and privacy when a user is online.<\/p>\n

The use of a VPN is against PokerStars\u2019 terms of service<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe use of VPN \/ Proxy \/ IP randomizer is prohibited, as they can provide misleading information regarding your location, or place of residence. According to our Terms of Service, which you can find on our website, all players are required to provide accurate data, including information about their location.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It seems highly unlikely<\/strong> that PokerStars does not have proof to substantiate its suspicion. PokerStars issued the following statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot comment on pending litigation matters and our investigation into this particular matter is ongoing. However, as operator of the most regulated poker site in the world, we believe that we have a duty to protect the integrity of the game and ensure we provide a safe and fair poker platform by enforcing our terms of service. We have paid out over half a billion dollars in tournaments winnings this year alone and will continue to implement rigorous security procedures to protect our players.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Play At PokerStars NJ<\/p>\n<\/div>\n