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888poker Cracks Down on Bot Accounts and Siezes $300k
By Jeff Osienya May 31, 2022 Industry888poker is ramping up its efforts to fight AI-assisted online poker accounts by investing in fair poker gaming technology. Since last year, the online poker top dog has recovered nearly $300k from bot accounts.One of the world’s largest online poker platforms, 888poker, has scored a significant victory in the ensuing bot accounts battle wreaking havoc on many online gambling platforms. The London-based gaming operator has announced that it is well on its way to recovering nearly $300,000 in funds from player accounts that had gained an unfair advantage via artificial intelligence.
The global online poker giant reported that so far, in 2022, it has repaid $80,858 to a total of 1,390 players. Combined with the amount of cash refunded to honest players since 2021, the overall amount of refunds is almost hitting $300,000.
Advanced Technology to the Rescue
Advanced technology has played a significant role in the massive turnaround for combating the said online poker bots that have become prevalent in the online poker scene. You see, poker bots are pieces of software used by devious online poker players to gain an unfair advantage over real-life punters.
The software uses mathematical algorithms and player knowledge to try and outwit the game. And so, 888poker had to bring out the big guns and fight fire with fire by countering such users with sophisticated and innovative bot detection methods. The poker giant pumped more investment to improve its capacity to identify bot-assisted accounts as part of its broader initiative to offer honest players a secure, fair, and exciting online poker experience.
Besides enhancing its monitoring technology, 888poker also increased the headcount of its team, which is mainly focused on fair gaming. In addition, the online poker steamroller also took a big step by hiring several leading data scientists to work alongside its headcount team to detect bots and Real-Time Advisors (RTA).
Smashing Points Scored in the War Against Bot-Assisted Accounts
The issue of bot accounts has been frustrating online poker platforms as they struggle to make their gaming environments safe and 100% fair. As such, it is a resounding victory to not only 888poker but also the general online poker community to see that, indeed, we can score victories against the bot problems. Furthermore, it shows that there’s a clear blueprint for tackling the dishonest users who use artificial intelligence to beat the system unfairly.
Of course, the takeaway here is that online poker companies must make significant investments to ensure that they come out on top. Additionally, the anti-bot measures may also involve bringing in more staffers and specialists in the fight, as 888poker has done with its team. The company also involved some of the best online and live poker players who, upon analysis of various accounts, can be best placed to tell whether a bot runs an account or not. For operators, the more secure a player feels in your online poker platform, the more likely they are to stay put over the long haul.
The latest revelations by 888poker continue a recent trend by many online poker platforms of being more open about bots and what specific measures they are doing about them. The online poker juggernaut initially came out publicly with details of its battle with bots last year when it revealed that it had recovered close to $100,000 back in October. While this approach is commendable, other global poker giants like PokerStars and GGPoker have been less forthcoming about how they deal with bots. The critical factor, though, is that there should be a general collective effort by the industry leaders to rid online poker players of bots.
Matan Krakow, the Group Manager of 888poker, reflected on the company’s progress and continued commitment in the anti-bot fight in a statement saying:
Quote“Our continued progress in tackling bots is crucial in ensuring 888poker continues to provide an enjoyable, safe and level playing field for all our players. This has been driven not only by our increased investment in our detection capabilities but also through the continued support and cooperation of our players, who have an important role to play in helping provide us with vital information about players they think are using AI and RTA. We will continue to do all in our power to ensure we keep poker fun and fair, as part of our Made to Play strategy, and listening to our players will be a key factor to progress on this front.”
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