UKGC Launches Review into Integrity of iPoker Industry

PartyPoker and PokerStars recently introduced a number of policies changes designed to make their games fairer and more attractive to recreational players, including limiting the use of tracking software, and generic seating scripts. In an attempt to further advance the integrity of the online poker industry, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is now conducting an investigation of its own into the prevalence of third-party tracking software in the game, as well as the issue of cheating, and the use of poker bots.
Consequently, the UKGC has sent a survey out to major gambling operators in the country asking their views on the most pressing issues facing the industry, and as a UKGC spokesman explains:
“We want this information in order to assess whether the current controls in Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) and the Remote Gambling and Software Technical Standards (RTS) are sufficient to ensure online poker is crime free, fair and open and children and vulnerable people are protected.”
The move reflects a growing trend in the industry to address the concerns of recreational players, the life-blood of online poker, whose numbers have been in decline over the past few years. Nevertheless, the announcements is also a response to a spate of collusion and illegal bot incidents which have blighted the game in recent months. This includes a trojan malware, called Win32/Spy.Odlanor, which allows criminals to see their poker opponent’s hole cards at PokerStars and Full Tilt.
The UKGC is hoping that the results of its survey will lead to “a future formal consultation on remote technical standards”, and ultimately lead to a more safeguarded, healthy, and crime-free playing environment. Furthermore, this is the first time a survey like this has been conducted on such a large scale, and the conclusions reached by the UKGC could subsequently have far reaching consequences for the whole online poker world.