In recent days, PokerStrategyreported that several well-known pros owe Full Tilt Poker sizable sums of money, a situation that if unresolved could potentially kill the deal that would see Groupe Bernard Tapie (GBT) purchase the assets of the beleaguered site. According to a report from iGamingFrance, GBT Managing Director Laurent Tapie has confirmed that the debt amounts to $16.5 million and is not a bill his company intends to foot itself. There’s also a hiccup regarding money allegedly owed to Chris Ferguson.

The original PokerStrategy article quoted GBT attorney Behn Dayanim, who said, “GBT doesn’t want to acquire assets which will need to be litigated over later. In total, the sum owed to the company is between $10 and $20 million. Several of the players who owe money and have not yet expressed a willingness to pay their debts include Phil Ivey, Layne Flack, David Benyamine, and Erick Lindgren. Barry Greenstein, Mike Matusow, and others owe a smaller but still significant amount.”

He continued, “If the money doesn’t come in, it creates a serious obstacle to completion of the deal. This isn’t the only issue with the takeover, and the deal won’t end on any one issue, but this is a substantial item.”

Following that report, the aforementioned Greenstein spoke up, explaining his side of the story on TwoPlusTwo: “I borrowed $400,000 to play on Full Tilt a few years ago, before PokerStars had high-stakes games. I didn’t pay it back, hoping that some people who owed me and had money on Full Tilt would pay me there so I could use that against the debt (I’m only owed about $150,000 now). I have assumed when this case is resolved, the DOJ will allow methods for dealing with debt to FTP.”

Greenstein (pictured) went on to say that GBT’s attorneys requested that he pay them the money directly, even allowing him to pay in installments or possibly less than the full $400,000 if U.S. players do not end up getting paid back in full.

“I told him that I have never paid less than I owe on any debt and I would rather wait until the DOJ establishes a fund for the U.S. players,” Greenstein said. “I don’t believe my debt has any impact on the sale to the Tapie group as they have alleged. I was concerned about taking money due to U.S. players and giving it to the Tapie Group because it is understood that the Tapie Group won’t be the one paying the U.S. players.”

The previously cited iGamingFrance article said that Tapie confirmed that 19 players owe a total of $16.5 million and several of them have already signed agreements to repay the money. He told the site, “The argument of the players who say, ‘We will refund if the money goes to the players’ is misleading since they know very well that the players will be refunded only if GBT goes all the way with the takeover, and for that to happen, it is necessary that the bulk of money owed by the pros returns to Full Tilt.”

While most members of the poker community appreciate Greenstein’s openness about what he owes, some side with Tapie, feeling that Greenstein should not wait for the DOJ and should instead repay his debt immediately. Others on TwoPlusTwo sided with Greenstein, saying, for example, “Barry just wants to make sure players get paid and that any money he pays FTP/GBT/DOJ goes to what FTP owes players (U.S. and ROW) and isn’t blown on lobsters.”

Tapie argued, “The poker community, and particularly that made up of former Full Tilt players waiting to recover their funds, deserves to know the reality of the behavior of some major poker figures who say they are sorry for the situation of Full Tilt players and want to do everything they can to help them get their funds back, blame the old management, but also refrain from saying how much they have borrowed from Full Tilt, and lost, playing on the site.”

Tapie added, “When you are a poker player, a great player at that, recognized and admired, the basic rule, it seems to me, is to honor your gambling debts.”