GB regulator launches review into online poker
Gambling Commission to investigate use of third-party software and bots on vertical
Britain’s Gambling Commission is to review the rules governing online poker as the regulator begins an investigation which will explore the use of third-party software and bots in the game.
The Commission will canvass opinion among operators and is seeking information on collusion and cheating in the vertical.
“We’ve been asking licensees who offer peer-to-peer poker for information and their views on current issues identified in relation to this product,” a Commission spokesperson said.
“We are also considering the impact of game integrity issues overall and using the opportunity to canvass views more generally,” the spokesperson added.
In recent months several operators have taken steps to improve poker’s ecology, with many people blaming the prevalence of professional players making use of analytical software, as well as illegal collusion rings, for putting off casual players and bleeding the vertical dry.
In June, PokerStars announced a series of proposed changes to the types of third-party software allowed on its client, as the operator investigated a largely Russia-based ring of players suspected of using bots on the site to win at least $2.8m illegitimately.
But neither the Commission nor the majority of poker operators currently prohibit many popular pieces of third-party software which provide players with information on their opponents.
The Commission’s current Remote Gambling and Software Technical Standards (RTS) controls does include a requirement to make customers aware in instances where they “may be gambling against programmes deployed by other customers to play on their behalf”.
It also says information should be available that describes the possibility of bot use, and that if it is against the site’s terms and conditions there should be clear instructions on how to report suspected bot use.
The Commission said information gathered during this stage of the review will be used to help shape a future formal consultation on remote technical standards.