Over recent years, major online poker sites have introduced various measures to get rid of bots amid increasing concerns over bot-related cheating. While all of the top operators are united in their goal to eliminate the problem, they have different approaches to transparency and keeping their players aware of efforts to combat illicit activity.
888poker Reimburses $100K To Players in October
888poker has been in the industry for quite a while now, but it’s the first time that the site is divulging details of its crackdown against bots. The operator recently announced that it has closed 85 accounts and confiscated nearly $100,000 which has since been returned to around 4,000 affected players. These figures are for the month of October alone.
Bots are pieces of software used by players as a way to cheat. These programs have the ability to defeat human players and are designed to play even without human oversight. They can play for extended hours without experiencing fatigue. The use of bots is generally prohibited across all online poker sites as they put unsuspecting players at a disadvantage and ruin the integrity of the games.
Transparency in Combating Bots
888poker has officially joined the trend among online poker sites of publicly releasing statistics regarding the illicit activity. Partypoker has been doing this as far back as 2019. Its ongoing crackdown on bots has so far resulted in the seizure of nearly $1.5 million, and its method of fighting the cheats seems to be working well for the site, with fewer illicit accounts being detected year on year.
In the months of January and February 2021, partypoker only shut down 64 accounts and confiscated just $9,000.
Based on its recent announcements, 888poker appears to also be taking a serious stand against fraudulent activity. Company head Amit Berkovic said they’re making continued progress in tackling bots and that’s something to be proud of. He also reiterated their commitment to providing an enjoyable, fair, and safe platform for all by getting rid of bots through sophisticated and innovative detection measures.
Berkovic said the bots issue is one thing players take into consideration when choosing where to play. Thus, it’s important that they know the site is doing something to stomp out the problem.
Meanwhile, the picture is very much different at the two other online poker giants, PokerStars and GGPoker. While both 888poker and partypoker opted for the transparency route, PokerStars and GGPoker have not published any figures with regards to their crackdown on bots in two years.
PokerStars, the largest online poker site in the world, last engaged with the issue on bots back in 2019 when it announced that it terminated 2,800 accounts and seized $1.87 million in the process. Similarly, the last time GGPoker talked about its fight against bots was also in 2019.
During the time, the operator banned 40 accounts and confiscated $1.175 million in funds. Since then, both PokerStars and GGPoker have yet to update their players as to the status of their fight against illegal activity. One reason for this is that the operators want to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of their bot detection methods.
Safe & Fair Platform for Players
For 888poker, choosing to be transparent about its crackdown on the use of unauthorized AI software at the site is a step in the right direction. It guarantees players that the site is strengthening its security and that bots are being dealt with seriously. It’s also not just about transparency; it’s about upholding its commitment to providing players a safe and fair platform.
888poker said it will now clamp down on bots and release a report every month.
