Online gambling payment processor forfeits more than $13 million

18 August 2010

By Vin Narayanan

The owner of two payment processors linked to PokerStars forfeited more than $13 million in a New York federal court Tuesday to settle a money laundering case.

The money forfeited by Ahmad Khawaja's Allied Wallet and Allied Systems was originally seized by authorities last June.

According to court documents, PokerStars and other online gambling companies deposited more than more than $13,335,248.91 in a bank account at Goldwater Bank held by Allied Wallet between January and May of 2009.

"Some of the funds deposited in the Goldwater Bank account were transferred, directly or indirectly, into seven different bank accounts held, or otherwise controlled, by Allied Wallet Inc., Allied Systems Inc., and Ahmad Khawaja," court documents said. "Other funds were credited to the bank accounts of online gamblers, often as winnings from their online gambling."

The sources of at least some of the funds were debits "from the bank accounts of online gamblers who were using the Pokerstars.com website, and other websites, to engage in online gambling."

Online gambling payment processor forfeits more than $13 million is republished from Online.CasinoCity.com.