ShareNevada’s plans to create an online poker “Black Book” listing players banned for cheating has been opposed by Caesars Interactive Entertainment, owners of WSOP.com, the only online poker site currently operating legally in the state.
A legislative bill – Assembly Bill 380 (AB380) – was recently introduced which would seek to replicate the infamous “Black Book”, the nickname for the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) List of Excluded Persons.
The Bill was drafted by professional poker player, Sara Cholhagian Ralston, working with part-time poker player and Assembly Speaker, Steve Yeager.
It seeks to introduce “a list of persons whose interactive gaming accounts have been suspended or banned for cheating.”
Fear of Litigation and Compensation Claims
However, Caesars lobbyist Mike Alonso, is concerned that it could lead to “burdensome litigation” and “compensation” issues for those cheated.
Alonso told the Assembly Judicial Committee this week: “Caesars is doing everything it can reasonably do to keep bad actors off the site based on its terms of service. In other words, bad actors shouldn’t be on the site and you shouldn’t be playing against them.”
He added: “Caesars believes that publicly listing its customers will only lead to expensive and burdensome litigation for damaging someone’s reputation or from players who think that they lost money to an alleged cheater and want compensation.”
Danielle Barille, VP of online poker for Caesars Digital, which manages WSOP.com, reject the idea that such a “Black Book” approach would increase transparency and player safety. Barille claimed that Caesars already do more than enough to combat such problems.
“While we do not disclose security protocols, every hand played on WSOP.com is monitored through advanced algorithms and our software and dedicated full-time staff,” Barille stated.
She added: “We flag things like sharing the device with another player, running prohibited software while playing, IP address changes and physical movements. We monitor game-play patterns to previous patron history and investigate every accusation made to our customer service.”
The Infamous “Black Book”
The NGCB “Black Book” currently has 35 people on it, ranging from gambling cheats to those who have stolen from casino patrons. Last year, the board voted unanimously to include a Vegas pimp who has a history of assaulting and forcing women into prostitution, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal.
Kendrick Laronte Weatherspoon became the first person included on the list without “a history of cheating at gambling or involvement in organized crime”.
The NGCB also have a Most Wanted list, currently hosting six men, five accused of various forms of “cheating at gaming”, along with a couple of counts of “burglary” and “fraudulent acts”.
AB380 will continue through the legislative process, with the NGCB making no comment on whether or not they favour the bill.
