Last week, Poker News Daily confirmed the rumors that Pitbull Poker, a site on the Flash Poker Network, had shut down amid allegations of superusers and suspicious play. Readers of our site have since threatened litigation.
Overnight on September 29th, Pitbull Poker heads Kevin Baronowski and “Jordan” were seen taking computers out of the company’s headquarters in Costa Rica. Staff at the offices promptly called police, resulting in Baronowski and his cohort being taken in for questioning. No games were running in the client after the incident and the site was completely down for eight hours. On whether the room was operational on Tuesday, October 6th, former Pitbull Poker Network Manager Dave Brenes told Poker News Daily, “From what I heard, it was shut down. There was a rumor that it was back, but it’s shut down.” No tables were running at the time of writing, although players were still able to log into the software client.
The future of player funds held in Pitbull Poker are up in the air, leaving Poker News Daily reader “JC Hawk” to lead the charge for legal action against Brenes and Baronowski. “JC Hawk” noted that he was out $100,000. Other readers chimed in as well, adding that they were also owed amounts ranging between $250 and $7,700. Brenes responded by posting on Tuesday, “I was a never a partner, associate, director, or in any way related to the ownership of Pitbull Poker, Pitbull Casino, or Pitbull Partners. I was an employee hired to manage the network and support operations in whatever [ways] necessary.”
Brenes revealed that players aren’t the only party seeking financial compensation from Pitbull Poker. A group of former employees is also threatening litigation as a result of lost wages. Brenes explained that he is among those owed money and, on a lawsuit initiated by players, explained, “It’d have to be in Costa Rica. They would have to come down here and see what they can do. They’d have to pursue the company, though. A Costa Rican customer hired us. I was an employee hired to do a job. Once the company folded, I was out of a job.”
He continued, “I was not in charge of cashouts. I never really handled money or bank accounts or anything like that. I suspect that players won’t be seeing the money because employees aren’t seeing money either.” The industry is fresh off the liquidation of Eurolinx by its parent company, Linx Media Group, in August. As of the time of writing, Eurolinx has given no update on the status of its cashouts after an initial statement was posted in August.
Baronowski and “Jordan” handled payments and day-to-day operations at Pitbull Poker, while Brenes handled the network aspects of the online poker site. He lamented, “I know the position of the players. I understand how they feel, but they have to find the real target.” Brenes was responsible, specifically, for developing the network, procuring clients, making sure clients received support if they had questions or requests, negotiating new deals, and making sure that everyone got their payments on time.
Brenes expects to issue a personal public statement within a “few weeks or months” depending upon when he finds new employment in Costa Rica. In the meantime, “JC Hawk” contacted the U.S. Embassy in San Jose and posted on Poker News Daily, “I have been able to get the help of the Costa Rica government and the U.S. Embassy to looking into what can be done on freezing the money accounts and bringing charges on Dave Brenes and Kevin Baronowski. I should get an answer the latter part of this week or the first of next. I will get the website up and an e-mail so everyone can stay in touch shortly.”
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from the Pitbull Poker closure.
Dave Brenes is full of chit,he is as guilty if not more so than any of these scumbags,I also hold CS accountable as well,they can all play dumb,but each and everyone of them was totally aware at the deception that was taking place,and the fraud,my personal opinion employees should be last on the list of getting paid,after all, the money that would go to them,is money that all of us customers were scammed out of,now they should get a little taste of there own medicine,Dave,Jordan,Kevin and CS, now do you beleive in Karma??????
Sounds Like Dave Brenes, speeches are about like his payouts,a few weeks or months!!!!!
Brenes was also the one that I would email directly and consistently misinform me and mislead me on my cash outs. He would use stall tactics, and outwardly lie to me in every email he sent me. Dave was in charge of running the business, and when you’re in charge of operations, you know what’s going on, he knew very well what was going down. He might not have known exactly when, but he was aware of what he was doing to the players. You think the support staff didn’t ask questions about why they were receiving countless emails of angry poker players? What do you think Dave Brenes would tell them, what do you think their world class support team were told? I know what they were told, they were told to lie, they were told to misinform, they were to told to stall……. I could care less if Dave Brenes is owed money, Dave Brenes is a crook, and he’s now doing his best to try and separate himself from this mess. You should get your future employer to contact all the poker players that you screwed Dave, I’m sure we’ll all give you a GREAT reference.
You need to be aware of Pitbull Poker’s corporate structure if you want to get any money out of them. Pitbull is owned by a Cypriot company in the offices of Treppides associates, the costa rican company does not have access to the funds of the Cypriot company.
Hey,just logged into the pitbull casino site,they say there are sad to inform us all the site is shut down,and that the payout issues should be sent to support@pitbullcasino.com to cashout your balance, mine is $3,944 I requested cashout, to my ewalletxpress, see what kind of tale we get now.
James,
Unfortunately, under Costa Rican law, employees and government get paid before clients. This order is followed regardless of the busted business being a poker site, a factory or a bank…
Costa Rican Lawyer,
Please contact me at kagame@gmail.com so I can put you in touch with a group of Pitbull players (including myself) who have organized and would like to form some sort of joint legal action or collective bargaining situation.
With regard to the employees of Pitbull not getting paid, give me a break! Player funds are always supposed to be kept separate from operational funds. The two issues have little to nothing in common. If poker sites use player funds for operations, they are committing fraud. Those chips we play with online HAVE to be backed up by real money sitting in an account waiting for us to withdraw, or this online poker economy will ultimately collapse. Also, the employees likely are culpable for working for such an awful scam company, and guilty by association! Screw them!
Brenes is utter scum and can go to hell as far as I am concerned. To not speak out when/if his online 2p2 handle was “taken from him” is just as bad as being the liar that told us everything was fine up until we were robbed, as a group, of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
We are doing everything we can to punish those responsible.
Like I said, please contact me if you are a lawyer in Costa Rica and would like to be part of a lawsuit.
Just curious,I logged into pitbull casino site and it said send e-mail to support@pitbullcasino.com for payouts,in which I did,no reply has anyone tried and gotten a reply back??? if so please e-mail me jn619@live.com and let me know what happened, Thanks James
Pablo,thats got to be the most ludicrous statement I have herd,a company is comitting fraud,and theft by deception, and there wellbeing is going to be taken care of before all the people they scammed,how about wire fraud international, I suspect they laundered some money at some point, in the states,US GOV will be happy to give them a free flight, back here after Costa Rica is done with them,Pablo so if I come to Costa Rica and work with the knowledge of the company I’m working for is commiting fraud,theft by deception,there going to reward me with a priority of paying me first???
Pablo,
We are not ordinary clients. A poker site is not a service you pay for up front. You pay for time spent at the tables. The poker site takes your deposit, holds the money while they give you chips. Those chips have value the same way paper money does, via a fiat convention. To say that we have “paid for something” and that we are not entitled to being compensated before employees is blatantly ignorant.
Besides, all of the employees are criminals and should be convicted and sent to jail. Or given the death penalty. That is, if the Costa Rican Law says that’s whats supposed to happen. Because Costa Rican Law is infallible and should be the final word on everything involving citizens of Costa Rica or the United States.
Daniel
kagame@gmail.com
Pitbull, after being busted they still have the nerve to direct people to support@pitbullcasino.com andthe site says for cashouts send e-mail,after all the crap they inflicted on people they still want deepen the wounds,JC HAWK,please contact me at jn619@live.com, I really think our best bet is to try, and have US GOV track down there paper trail,I just feel its the tip of the iceberg ripping off customers,I predict they are laundering money everywhere,and have washed through the US States,According to Pablo,Costa Rica Laws protect people who are corrupt,Dave Brenes I want to invite you to come in here and discuss payouts,and why you are still practicing deception !!!!!?????
Bad enough Pitbull scammed us all,now they start a web site saying that is where to go for payouts,I’ve sent 6 e-mails for payout request not one damn response,same old BS,people we have to ban together and take these bastards down,i don’t care what we got to do i just know they need to go down fast, before they stall there way out of this ,thats what they are doing trying to hide there assets,if it takes going there and finding each and everyone of them then less do it,I have had all the BS I can take ,I’m livid,and about ready to do anything to see these bastards pay !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All people that were scammed by pitbull, and are still being lied to with the latest lie of going to support for cashouts,people if we can’t get our money we need to ban together will all the information and proof of deception to present to authority,the more counts of fraud we can bring against them the more prison time they will get,I’m sure you guys feel like me 50 years would be to lite of of sentence,lets make sure these scumbags never get a chance to see day light,and as a group we can do that,mark my word there is alot of illeagal stuff going on if Kevin B is involved he is a no good piece of chit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am so pissed off at these crooks,the lies and the misleading of information I want my money!!Each 1 of them is a liar and a scammer
Count me in guys rrordanes@gmail.com My screen name was PAPER_CHASE. These guys can seriously just get away with something like this? scums.
I would like to be counted in on the legal action being taken. I didn’t have as much as some on there but it was mine. As soon as I see the email listed I plan on signing up.
hi i had total of 1100 dollar payout request one was over 6 weeks before they closed it was 900 please advise of any new information screen was harryh these guys need to have there homes cars sail boats condos wine collection all confiscated and pay off there debts
Count me in if u are planing to do anything. I lost a little over 3.000$ on that site, so yes i am pissed. My screen name was SickScene and my email for contact is marn.janez@gmail.com
I’m trying to find out the latest info JC HAWK might have concerning this issue,JC please e-mail me at jn619@live.com if you have any new updates,we all see that there site directing players to contact support for payouts, was there normal methods of lying once again,all these Pitbull people are full of more chit than a Christmas turkey
info@treppides.com
Hi I was never paid either, my handle is winslow_lee and email is erichenders@yahoo.com
James,
I was given a e-mail address so everyone could submit their claim of issue.. The address is wrong or unable to be used so they are getting me another one tomorrow. I will post it as soon as I get it.
I am in talks with the Costa Rica government, the US business trade (CRETA) and many others about this. This is bigger than just ripping off poker players, if the government does not step in it may have a ripple effect on trade. They want our money and trade and we need to know we have protection on investments made in Costa Rica.
If I need to spend out of my own pocket the money to advertise how dangers’ it is to invest in ANY business in Costa Rica I will. Michael Moor might like this on. LOL
I will post the e-mail tomorrow
Hawk
my screen name was scorpio101 how can we get our $$$$ back from these crooks.
let’s keep this thing active still even though things seem to be at a halt. Anyone with any info or remarks please update.
Hell even if I could just get my pitbull t-shirt that I earned in the last few weeks it would make me a little happier!
Two words.
Hit man.