Professional Poker Player to New Jersey Online Gambling Regulators: Give Me Immunity & I Can Show You How Money Laundering, Cheating, Collusion Can Happen With Online Poker

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Jan 31, 2014, 08:22 ET

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- A lifelong professional poker player wrote New Jersey Director, Division of Gaming Enforcement David Rebuck warning that online poker is vulnerable to money-laundering and collusion, and requested the opportunity to show how, if provided immunity from prosecution.

Bill Byers urged Mr. Rebuck to have software engineer and online poker whistleblower Jim Thackston demonstrate how collusion can take place in online poker without detection, as outlined in Thackston's letter to Rebuck last November.

Byers wrote,"…New Jersey poker websites are marketing to people who have likely never played poker. They're doing this to fill the low stakes 'fish pond'. The marketing campaigns are luring novices to be caught, gutted, and skinned by more experienced players and cheaters who could use the same techniques we demonstrated for money laundering. At the same time, your office, the Division of Gaming Enforcement, says all is well. This is not true."

"I know the game and no anti-collusion system can possibly detect the manipulation if it is done carefully by people who know what they're doing," wrote Byers. "I am writing to make you aware of my role in the money laundering demonstrations conducted by Jim Thackston. Jim wrote to you in a November 14^th 2013 letter describing in general terms some of the problems posed by online poker in the State of New Jersey. He tells me he received no response."

Mr. Byers participated in demos with Mr. Thackston in Washington, DC and at Mississippi State University illustrating how collusion can occur without detection despite industry claims. The FBI has twice written Congress on the dangers.

"In those demonstrations, I played in games with 3 other poker accounts played by 2 other people. In both demonstrations, 2 computers were sitting side-by-side in either Washington, DC (April 2012) or Starkville, MS (May 2012). I was in Apollo Beach, FL and another person played the 2 poker accounts on the DC/MS machines from a location in Southwest Florida using specially employed remote access technology.

Byers proposed New Jersey allow Jim Thackston and a team of professional poker players to manipulate a game to show regulators and lawmakers, but be provided full immunity. All funds will be returned to the State of New Jersey.

"This test will provide the State of New Jersey a true stress-test of its internet gambling anti-money laundering and anti-collusion countermeasures."

Read the full letter http://bit.ly/1dBDrZM

Additional info: http://www.undetectablelaundering.com/

For more info contact Cheri Jacobus at [email protected] or (202) 257-4638 or Jim Thackston at (404) 375-0058.

SOURCE Jim Thackston