Was Bin Ladin Assassination Tied to Online Poker Clampdown?

The poker community is buzzing over a rumor that the recent assassination of al-queda leader Osama Bin-Laden came as a result of an April 15 crackdown on three of the largest online poker rooms.  

PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and UB.com were each indicted two weeks ago on charges of money laundering and bank fraud.  The companies are accused of misrepresenting Internet gambling transactions through bank processing.

Atlantic City Weeklypoker writer Mike Pritchard is scheduled to publish the “conspiracy theory” this coming Thursday on his blog. 

Pritchard offered a preview of things to come:  “The theory is that the U.S. crackdown on April 15 against online poker was actually a CIA move to get the online poker records for Pakistan and Afghanistan. Seems one of those trusted couriers of bin Laden’s was a poker nut. Just days after getting the info on the courier the U.S. moved.”

“Of course,” adds Pritchard, “the theory doesn’t fit the time line that the bin Laden house was found months earlier, but you know what happens when you get poker players talking.” 

The US Attorney’s Office out of the Southern District of New York has been investigating PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker for at least the past two years.  Gambling911.com parent company, Costigan Media, had filed a Motion to Intervene at that time.

Blackjack Champ also features a piece related to the supposed Bin Ladin-Poker connection.  You can read that one here.  The photo of Bin Laden shot in the head can also be found on the Blackjack Champ site.

- Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher