Irish Authorities Blacklist Ray Bitar for Ten Years

July 19th, 2016 | by Brian Corlisse

Ray Bitar won’t be allowed to head up any companies in Ireland for the next decade. (Image: bluffeurope.com)

Ray Bitar, the man who helped start Full Tilt, won’t be able to start any new companies in Ireland for the next decade according to the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE).

Detailed in the ODCE’s annual report, Bitar has been banned from becoming a company director in Ireland for the next ten years thanks to his previous roles with Pocket Kings Ltd and Rekop Limited.

For the unaware, the online poker site Full Tilt was a customer-facing entity that served players around the world.

However, to the business world, Pocket Kings Ltd and Rekop Limited were the companies that controlled the site.

Bitar’s Irish Connections Prompt Ban

These two companies were based in Ireland and because they were essentially responsible for Full Tilt when it was seized by the DOJ in 2011, it brought them to the attention of the ODCE.

Whenever a limited company in Ireland is the subject of a legal investigation, the ODCE is then tasked with picking through the debris and handing out sanctions to those deemed guilty of business malpractice.

In most situations the standard blackout period for directors and executives found guilty of wrongdoing is three to five years. However, according to evidence obtained by The Times and also by FlushDraw.net, Bitar will have to sit out for ten years.

After obtaining copies of the ODCE’s recently released annual report, the outlets found Bitar’s name buried in an appendix located towards the end of the document.

Referring to him as an executive for Pocket Kings and Rekop Limited, the report states that Bitar is essentially blacklisted in Ireland for a long time.

Bitar to Stay in the Shadows

Of course, following his brush with the DOJ and reported ill-health (poker pro Allen Cunningham told the community he had a serious heart condition in 2014), it’s unlikely Bitar will be back anytime soon.

Aside from Howard Lederer, Bitar is seen as the man most responsible for the demise of Full Tilt and the loss of millions of dollars from the poker community.

Fortunately, with Bitar long gone and the Rational Group stepping in to take control of Full Tilt, all the previous wrongs have been righted.

However, the wounds left by Bitar’s actions run deep and it will be a long time before players or the authorities in Ireland forget about what happened.