ONLINE POKER NETWORK ACQUIRED

25 January 2008

But who is Cintaly Holding Corporation?


Controversy has swirled around the troubled Dynamic Gaming Systems online poker network recently as rumours of its imminent demise hardened into firm information from network members that indicated a halt to payouts and non-existent communications (see previous InfoPowa reports)

Operators on the network started to look for new homes with the reportedly 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.

This week a press release signed off by "protect@protectpal.com" from DGS in Costa Rica announced that an agreement for the 'transfer of its network' has been reached with Cintaly Holding Corporation (CHC). Protectpal is a largely Eastern European secure email hosting outfit.

CHC, based out of the British Virgin Islands, but with the UK telephone number +44 800-011-2643, apparently anticipates having the DGS network back in full operation within 72 hours of the transaction being completed - a date not included in the announcement.

The blurb says that unidentified 'executives of CHC' are "excited by the opportunity to take over one of the finest poker software networks online today," apparently overlooking the serious allegations levelled against the network by operators, affiliates and players in recent times.

Breeding further suspicion is the lack of details on the acquisition and a paucity of information on CHC, whose website displays little hard information beyond a Tortola office address and the general advisory that 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."

Those who are owed money by DGS may take some comfort from a sentence in the release, apparently penned by someone in authority at DGS, which claims: "....it is our understanding CHC intends to honour all verified existing Player Balances and Licensee Agreements." Apparently CHC's priority is to ".....get all remaining Players and Licensees back operational as fast as possible."

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.

One representative at the Jungle Poker site wrote that the withdrawals which were in progress would be reversed and credited back to the players' accounts, and that the new owners will have a limited number of deposit and withdrawal options initially but will expand this over time.

Meanwhile G2G Poker has joined the exodus from DGS, joining the Merge network along with LuckyHog Poker. Other Merge poker sites include Carbon poker, Poker.com, Iron Duke Poker and Pokernordica.

CHC has not yet responded to a media enquiry addressed to their email at corpaffairs@cintaly.com.

Online Casino News courtesy of InfoPowa