Full Tilt Poker May Terminate Up to 250 Employees

Full Tilt Poker may terminate as many as 250 employees from its Dublin, Ireland offices as a result of the company’s withdrawal from the US market.

Pocket Kings, which provides marketing and technology for Full Tilt’s operations, said that its departure from the US market means it has to make savings of €12 million.   A statement from the company said that if these savings were realized through personnel cuts, as many as 250 employees could be let go. But Pocket Kings won’t confirm the exact number until completing a “cost optimization program” designed to streamline operations, a process that will take approximately 30 days.

According to their statement, “Pocket Kings firmly believes it has a very strong future in Full Tilt Poker’s non-us markets, and is fully committed to ensuring Full Tilt Poker restores the site and repay players in full.”

Earlier this year a number of Full Tilt executives were indicted in New York State for a range of offences as part of a general US crack down on on-line gambling.

Full Tilt is also facing a class action from clients seeking the return of cash from bank accounts that were frozen following the indictments.

Meanwhile, the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) announced that the upcoming hearing into Full Tilt’s license suspension will not be open to the public, ruling that the hearing will be held “in camera,” a decision that André Wilsenach, executive director of the AGCC, called “disappointing.”

“I am pleased, he said, “that the FTP hearing will continue as scheduled, as was argued on my behalf. However, I am disappointed with the tribunal’s decision that, notwithstanding my arguments to the contrary, the hearing will be held in private.

“I believe the public has a right to know the reasoning behind the decisions to suspend FTP’s licenses and call a hearing, and to hear the evidence that will be put forward on my behalf.”