The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) national regulatory body has announced that it is to launch a review into the use of third-party software in online poker.
Confirmed in a statement by the regulator, the review will include a number of stages, the first of which will see the UKGC seek information from operators that hold a licence to operate online poker in the UK as to the “collusion and cheating” dangers third-party software may lead to.
A UKGC spokesman said that the results of the review will help “shape a future formal consultation on remote technical standards”.
“Regulations governing online poker where players play against each other — as opposed to playing the operator — are being reviewed,” the spokesman said.
“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.
“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.
“We are also considering the impact of game integrity issues overall and using the opportunity to canvass views more generally.”
The UKGC review comes shortly after bwin.party-operated online poker brand PartyPoker announced that it was to take a number of steps to ensure customers were not gaining an unfair advantage by using third-party software when playing.
source : www.igamingbusiness.com
