As most are aware, 2 + 2 poster 'IHasTehNutz' has dutifully compiled a list of 392 players who are owed $978,228.69 from Lock, with most having waited over a year for their money. The delay in payment prompted the Poker Players Alliance to get involved some three months ago by sending a letter to Lock representatives in hopes of establishing a dialogue and getting player funds returned.

Lock has apparently remained mum on the PPA request, not at all surprising to the players who have been trying for months to get truthful answers from Lock by various means. Answers have come in the form of promises of payment, yet the almost 400 players waiting for funds can attest to the fact that the promises have come up empty.

Although I have no money on Lock, (mine is tied up at Absolute Poker) I hoped to get some answers for those that do and felt the best way would be as a prospective depositor. Of course, I have no plans to actually make a deposit at Lock, as getting burned by AP is quite enough for me.

Anyway, I managed to get through to 'Mary' at Lock customer support and informed her that I would like to deposit. I expressed concern that payment may be slow according to what I had heard and was told that "cashouts are processed within 8-10 weeks."

I then stated that I was aware that some players had been subjected to a year-long wait on their withdrawal requests, to which Mary informed me that "our main focus at present is withdrawals and you will notice changes for the better in the upcoming weeks." I attempted to confirm that payment will be forthcoming for those waiting and was told that, "yes all withdrawals will be honored."

Mary then abruptly chose to end our conversation before I could make further inquiries regarding matters such as the unanswered letter sent by the PPA. The promises that I received from Mary are apparently the same sort that countless others who have inquired as of late have heard. A sampling from 2 + 2 poster 'bales' from a few days ago:

I had a chat recently with dear old 'Mary',whoever the f she is, anyway, she fed me a new line of BS when I asked 'when will I get my money?' Her response was 'you are near the end of the 2nd of 3 stages'...wow that's the first reference anyone (Shane, Mary, etc.) has made about any stage shet in the last 11 months that I've now been waiting."

The promises of payment continue, with various plans of action mentioned, yet players owed nearly $1 million continue to wait for funds that many have written off as a lost cause. Meanwhile, it's apparently business as usual at Lock where the site home page continues promoting the benefits of playing there.

Ironically enough, one of the features promoted at Lock is a "Vault" where players will find added protection for their funds. Per the Lock website:

Keep your bankroll safe and secure in your Vault. Protected with an additional PIN and security question, the Vault adds an additional layer of security to protect your money."

Considering the documented amount of money owed to players and the time that has elapsed without payment, this Lock feature is laughable. But it is certainly not funny to the players who are waiting for funds.

It is obvious that the only individuals who have access to the Lock vault are the owners who continue to make promises of payment that go unfulfilled. It is important to stress that any new players who are considering depositing on Lock must be made aware that it is a terrible idea to do so at this time. Just ask almost 400 players who haven't been paid.