LAPT Nuevo Vallarta Stop Cancelled

A few days ago the PokerStars Latin American Poker Tour stopped in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico for the first time to hold a poker tournament. When the tournament started, 242 players were competing for the top prize money. By Friday eighty nine players remained. At 10:30 pm local gaming officials shut the tournament down.

The tournament was taking place at the Marival Resorts and Suites and the tournament director had to tell players and spectators to leave the gaming room. The players left competing were told to return to the room at noon the next day for an update.

During the update players were informed that the tournament was stopped as the gaming officials in Mexico decided to rescind the gaming license of the LAPT. The eighty nine players who were left in the tournament had to chop the prize pool. Each player would double their $2,500 buy-in and also earn a portion of the chop which was designated by the size of their chip stack. PokerStars also awarded each player an additional $500 for the trouble.

The official statement from the LAPT website read:

"The Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) confirms that it is cancelling the poker tournament in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, due to an indefinite suspension served on one of its local partners.

The LAPT states it has cooperated fully and in good faith with the requirements outlined by the Mexican government. The LAPT respects and abides by local regulations in each market.

LAPT's partner in Mexico obtained a formal ruling from the Mexican Ministry of the Interior (SEGOB) allowing the event to take place. As the LAPT complied with every rule stipulated by the Code of the Mexican Federal Law of Games and Raffles, the reasons for suspension are being reviewed by lawyers of all parties."