Poker Pro Steffen Sontheimer's Bank Account Shut Down

German high-stakes poker player Steffen 'RunGo0seRun' Sontheimer has had his bank account closed due to his involvement in professional poker. The 29-year-old from Gernsbach has earned over $13.7 million in tournament earnings, including a massive $3,685,000 win at the $250k buy-in partypoker Live CPP SHR title in 2018.

This is not an isolated incident. Daniel Negreanu, a well-known poker player, also faced similar issues with his Bank of America business account being shut down in 2023. This is not the first time Negreanu has faced banking problems; he also encountered issues back in 2015.

Germany's gaming laws have been criticized for not complying with EU rules, with only the state of Schleswig-Holstein offering licenses. This regulatory landscape has led to banks shutting down accounts of poker players, as they do not want to deal with the complexities of international online gambling operators.