Phil Ivey vs Full Tilt Poker

Could this be the start of a new trend amongst poker professionals? Former Full Tilt Poker pro Phil Ivey has spoken out about the failure to repay funds to the poker room's customers in the aftermath of Black Friday and has revealed that he has filed a lawsuit against the company.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Ivey said he regretted having to speak out, but that he could not remain silent while the pockets of poker players around the US were affected.

"I am deeply disappointed and embarrassed that Full Tilt players have not been paid money they are owed. I am equally embarrassed that as a result many players cannot compete in the tournament and have suffered economic harm," the eight-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner said, adding that in protest he would not play in the upcoming WSOP.

Ivey also confirmed in the statement that he had "electronically filed a lawsuit against Tiltware related to the unsettled player accounts."

Criticism has been growing in the online gambling community against Full Tilt Poker, which stands accused of failing to communicate with players over the process of returning player funds, as opposed to rival online poker room PokerStars.

The chiefs of both poker rooms were among 11 people indicted by US prosecutors in New York on April 15 over illegal gambling and other federal charges, and their domain names were temporarily confiscated. Full Tilt says it has no timeline for repayment of player funds but says its poker pros cannot go public because of legal constraints.