Full Tilt not honouring pre-Black Friday pro contracts
Operator sends email to players who previously represented the site " only three sponsored players named since relaunch.
Full Tilt Poker has sent an email to players who represented the site before Black Friday informing them that their contracts are not covered by July’s acquisition agreement which saw the operator come under PokerStars’ ownership.
FTP has named three brand ambassadors around its relaunch earlier this month, with Tom Dwan and Viktor Blom (pictured) joining “face of the site” Gus Hansen in making up a roster branded as “The Professionals”.
More than 100 “Red Pros” represented Full Tilt before its licences were suspended in June 2011, while a smaller group, including Dwan and Hansen, made up the elite “Team Full Tilt”, many of whom are understood to have had stakes in the business or been involved in its development in the mid-2000s.
However the email, seen by Pokernews, confirms: “The “Red Pro” team is not being continued by the Rational Group and a new team has been launched under the name of “The Professionals”. Unfortunately, we do not have any immediate plans to expand the Full Tilt Pro team at this time.”
The communication, signed by FTP Team Pro manager Dustin Iannotti, continued: “Other than the non-US player balances, The Rational Group did not assume any liabilities of the previous Full Tilt Poker companies and therefore previous contractual agreements that Full Tilt Poker may have had including with FTP Red Pros were excluded.
“As such, The Rational Group is not liable and will not pay for any amounts which may have been due to you under your agreement with any former Full Tilt Poker company.”
In addition to the pro contracts, PokerStars confirmed last month that it was not liable for affiliate earnings associated with the previous Full Tilt Poker entity.
A number of former Red Pros have since signed endorsement deals with other online poker operators, with the quartet known as “The Hendon Mob” signing up with Genting and former World Series of Poker Europe champion Annette Obrestad agreeing a deal with Lock Poker.