Absolute Poker Super-User Scandal and the Outlook of Online Poker
There are three things that are important to online players when playing in a poker room on the Internet – that their banking information will not be breached, that the software is secure, and that the website operation is honest. These are three factors that play a huge part on online gambling industry. Absence of any of these three would place an online casino in jeopardy. This bad reputation would resonate to the rest of the online casinos. If you are an online card player, you probably know the latest scandal in online poker – the Absolute Poker Super-User Account Scandal.
The Facts
Apparently, approximately millions of dollars have been stolen from Absolute Poker players in a period of two weeks. Evidently, a “god account” was being used by an individual who allegedly broke into the security, to peer into the cards of other players and subsequently steal money right from under the players’ noses! Absolute Poker has gained quite a reputation being the third largest online poker room. After the news of the scam broke, Joe Norton, the owner of Tokwiro Enterprises, an entity owning 100% in the Absolute Poker, released a letter addressing the scandal where he assured the players that they are doing everything in their power to discover how the breach in their security and their system occurred.
In the letter released by Norton, he revealed that the initial findings pointed toward an AP consultant who used his position to access and manipulate the AP system and the player’s computers in order to, yes, indeed, view the other players’ hole cards.
There are speculations that AJ Green, the former Vice President of Operations of AP is the unnamed consultant.
The Scandal’s Effect to Online Poker
It was estimated that the scandal would have huge negative effect to the online poker industry. As hard as it was to gain people’s trust, the scandal would have weakened further the players’ faltering trust on online casinos.
There have always been accusations and speculations about rigged gambling rooms. This is nothing new, but there has never been proof that rigging actually does happen until this scandal.
Ironically, this scandal is viewed as an isolated incident. The number of online players and new members has even escalated although there is a considerable demand for the government to end prohibitions on online gambling and reroute their efforts toward regulating this huge and growing industry.
