We’re just four days away from the start of the Full Tilt Poker remission processfor U.S. players. Beginning on Monday, September 16, U.S. players with Full Tilt account balances can submit a Petition for Remission. Instructions for filling out the form will be e-mailed to players and posted on the official claims website, FullTiltPokerClaims.com.

The Garden City Group is the organization handling the refund process and an e-mail reportedly sent by the company has been circulating the internet in recent days. The letter states that former Full Tilt pros, employees, and vendors will be excluded from the remission process.

“It’s probably a little early to pre-judge what it means,” Poker Players AllianceExecutive Director John Pappas said of the letter. “We’ll have to see what the remission process will entail. The term ‘affiliate’ has many definitions and how GCG is interpreting it will be very interesting. Our hope is that everyone who has money tied up on Full Tilt will seek to go through the remission process and then we’ll see how GCG responds to their claim.”

Starting next week, the PPA will provide a dedicated e-mail for members to contact with questions or concerns about the process. Also firing up will be a dedicated landing page that will be stocked with information. The lobbying organization also hopes to launch an informational guide about the process. “Anyone who had money tied up on Full Tilt should have the opportunity to receive those funds,” Pappas asserted.

Still up in the air is how the Garden City Group will treat tournament tickets, points, and medals. Will their cash equivalent be sent to players or will players not be compensated? Pappas told us, “My gut is that they are not going to treat them as cash. PokerStars did not credit that money as part of their settlement with the DOJ.” Also seemingly up in the air is how the Group will handle pending cashouts, in-progress cashouts, and bounced checks.

Pappas added, “We advocated that the DOJ consider the cash value of tickets and points and, as the remission process unfolds, well see if there’s an opportunity for them to consider it. When we shared with folks the notes from our meetings, we got a lot of pushback from poker players saying, ‘Why do you care about our medals? We just want our money.'”

After two months, the remission process will close. Then what? How long can players expect to wait to be reunited with their funds? Pappas evaluated, “I’m optimistic based on our conversations with the DOJ that payments will be expedited, particularly for those cases where there isn’t an issue with a claim. That could mean that players who don’t have any disputes could expect checks very soon.” You can see how to get your balance in the instructions to the left of this paragraph.

Will players receive 100% of their funds back or merely a percentage on the dollar? According to the Garden City Group, it will rest on funds available versus total claims made. Pappas expects everyone to receive 100% of their funds: “Not everyone will claim their funds. That is one of the big reasons for it. PokerStars provided up to the very dollar of cash account balances, so I think the funds are there.”

Finally, receiving payments from a Government-appointed Claims Administrator could mean tax implications for those getting money. “It’s very possible that people may be required to fill out a 1099 upon the return of their funds, which would make them responsible for reporting their income on their next tax returns,” Pappas speculated. “I think that would be the largest tax implication. The DOJ has said nothing about this, though.”

Stay tuned to PocketFives for the latest on the Full Tilt claims process.

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