Everleaf took the opportunity to leave the US market -- which is what the DOJ wanted -- but it did so in a brutal manner, basically walking off with all the online bankroll balances of its remaining players, by refusing to cash out to anything other than non-US-facing e-wallets. Since those other sites also weren't servicing Americans, Everleaf just left the US players adrift and penniless.
That's where the licensing authority purporting to oversee Everleaf, Malta's Lotteries & Gaming Authority (LGA), could have entered the picture. But the LGA took no action whatsoever, just as they'd failed to action in other circumstances where their licensed sites acted badly, the defunct Purple Lounge Poker being just one other example.
But then there's this, published today by the LGA:
Suspension of Everleaf Gaming Limited
Following investigations, and after having received all the information as requested by the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (hereinafter the ‘Authority’) from Everleaf Gaming Limited’s Players, the Authority hereby notifies that the remote gaming licences LGA/CL1/665/2011 and LGA/CL3/230/2008 held by Everleaf Gaming Limited have been suspended as of 26th of July 2013.
Everleaf Gaming Limited has thus been directed not to continue registering new players, not to take any further deposits, and not to offer any games falling under the Authority’s licences until further notice.
Everleaf Gaming Limited operated a Class 3 on 4 licence (for Poker) and a Class 1 on 4 licence (for Casino) through URLs as provided in this link.
Furthermore the Authority hereby notifies that any websites operated by Everleaf Gaming Limited or associated with Everleaf Gaming Limited and which make reference to the Authority or the above-quoted licences issued by the Authority are not approved by the Authority. Due to its suspension of licences, Everleaf Gaming Limited is therefore not authorised to continue conducting gaming by means of distance communications under an Authority Licence.
As the Authority has collected all the necessary evidence pertaining to the case that was under investigation, the Authority notifies that no further information shall be released at this stage not to compromise any further investigations that may need to be performed by the competent authorities.
As if there were actually any "further investigations" going on that could possibly be compromised. The "no further information shall be released...." Well, that's not much of a surprise either. Thus does the LGA indirectly tell everyone not to bother writing them any more.
So what happened? Did Everleaf forget to send a check to the LGA for the worthless icon? Well, no matter -- the Everleaf site still claims that it's licensed by the LGA, and don't look for that to change any time soon. As to why, notice that the Everleaf "Partners" page still shows sites as Minted Poker, which gave Everleaf the virtual finger back in March.
These days, Everleaf gives every indication of being an autopilot scam site, leaving domains running and the software operational while not actually paying players out. Maybe it's a good thing US players haven't had to worry about losing more money there in the last two years. The bad news is that the players who lost money there in the past aren't ever going to see it, and a piece of self-serving twaddle published by Malta's LGA doesn't change that one bit.
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