Online poker network troubles continue

02/16/2008

Speculation that the deeply troubled online poker network and software provider Digital Gaming Systems has been taken over by the little known Cintaly Holdings Corporation (see previous InfoPowa reports) surfaced again this week with disturbing unpaid player reports that there is little evidence of any substance to the takeover company.

DGS had earlier announced that it had signed an agreement "to transfer" its assets to Cintaly, although few details of the deal or the consideration involved were released. The announcement revealed that Cintaly intended to have the network up and running efficiently again within days, but little appears to be happening.

The network has been in trouble for some time with member sites migrating to other networks, and an increasing number of unpaid player reports from the few remaining and largely dormant DGS skins, casting doubt on Cintaly and its goals.

Reports say that sites like Jungle Poker remain closed except for ring game play, perhaps 2 or 3 people at support and the cashier, which reopened February 11th with the imposition of new withdrawal rules which appear to suggest that the previous account balances of players will not be honoured.

Assurances of new action are apparently not being realised, and communication with the players is reportedly unsatisfactory with accounts being locked when players voice criticism and their frustrations.

When the Cintaly involvement with DGS first surfaced InfoPowa contacted the company seeking more details, but did not receive a response. Operators on the DGS network started to look for new homes with the fast-growing Merge Poker and Dobrosoft's Gold Chip networks, with operators complaining that they had been left in the invidious position of having to pay DGS-owed money to players out of their own pockets.

Cintaly Holdings Corporation is understood to be based out of the British Virgin Islands, but with the UK telephone number +44 800-011-2643. The company was formed in 1999, incorporated in 2005 and is a "diversified media company involved in online business publishing and entertainment" with a group of (unidentified) companies that operate as independent profit and loss centres."

The new owners appear to be rather coy on who is running the company, what online poker network experience is available within it and how it intends going forward. Unnamed representatives have been posting reassurances on various online poker message boards that their intentions are honourable, but the lack of hard information strains credibility.