Online Casino Blog » Security

BetUS Casino Asking for Player Social Security Numbers?

Mike Smack — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 21:51:26 +0000

I recently received a letter from a CasinoSmack reader about the online casino BetUS. Check it out:

It’s been awhile since I had an online account, and obviously some things have changed. I went to set up a Betus.com account, and they asked for my SS#. Is this normal practice?

-Bill N.

Thanks Bill for the question. The interesting part is that I’ve asked myself the same question about casinos asking for my social security number. Is it necessary? Recall a recent blog post about the concerns about online casino player identity theft and credit card fraud.

The Security of Social Security at BetUS

I could’ve just written up a blog post condemning online casinos for asking for social security numbers amid the concerns of identity theft and other security issues. Instead, we’re going straight to the source. I’ve contacted a BetUS representative to help answer these questions. Check out the BetUS social security number response from Kat Chaves, BetUS Sportsbook, Casino, Poker & Racebook Affiliate Marketing Manager:

“Company policy requires that all new customers making a first time deposit via credit card pass a verification process called Strike Force. The way this verification process works is as a basic 4 question quiz requiring answers that only the card holder could respond correctly. In order to get access to the card holder’s credit information, Strike Force needs the last four digits of the Social Security number. If the card holder provides wrong or missing information on the quiz, the verification process then asks for the first 5 digits of the Social Security number to verify. This rarely happens, but is more common among young card holders with no credit history or card holders that have similar names or SS numbers. We do not have access to the quiz information nor the social security number this information is strictly confidential and handled through Strike Force. The verification process is mentioned on our site. If the player would like to speak directly to an account manager, please let us know. I hope this information helps and if you need further assistance please let me know.”

Thanks a ton Kat, we’ve all really appreciated you coming through and answering the reader’s question. If anyone would like to speak with Kat Chaves, let me know and I’ll forward the BetUS contact information.

Personally I’m feeling way more relieved about giving my information online over at BetUS… plus remember that BetUS uses high grade internet encryption as well (RC4 128bit), which means all information gets encrypted before it’s transmitted over the internet. This virtually assures your information will not be snooped on others (hackers, etc.) The BetUS website is also verified by the USERTRUST network for even more security.

Resources:: Full Tilt Poker - Join More Than 95,000 Poker Players Playing Online!

Related posts:

Online Casino Scams: Preventing Identity Fraud and Theft

Mike Smack — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:00:00 +0000

If you happen to see any invites from an online gaming site and accepted it, then make sure that you’ve checked thoroughly what’s said on their security page. You have to make sure that you have read the entire text. Never begin any game at a new online casino if the security section of their website is not properly read and understood.

What you should expect to see in the security section is a long explanation on the details on how that particular casino’s security system will protect your identity while you play online. Remember that you have to provide your financial or bank account details to make game deposits – so be clear on the casino policies!

Online identity theft is an unfortunate occurrence - but with online games like casino games the system is designed to properly focus on thwarting hackers whose goal is stealing a player’s identity. The systems implemented by online casinos include methods to secure your privacy and safeguard your personal information.

The Security Scepticism

Most online casino players are skeptical in this matter. Many of us are in doubt of the security – we may feel that our identity may be in danger of being stolen or used by someone else. We might feel uneasy about giving our bank details, answering security questions and giving our date of birth. This information, if accessed by hackers, may be used for malicious purposes.

As an online casino gamer, you need to have confidence in your casino before you start playing online. You can’t play your A-Game while being paranoid that someone is watching you and trying to snatch your identity. This isn’t just an online occurrence, scams like credit card identity theft happens in real life as well. People have paid at restaurants, the server has taken the credit card details, racked up major charges on them, and the unsuspecting victim finds huge billings incurred in their card monthly statement.

So how can you make sure that what you’ve sent to them, which can include your personal identification, is hack-free and secured?

Before playing online, you should really see how identities are being protected in the site that you wish to visit and play for real money. The website should state in detail how they make your stay in their site worry free and secured. Some casinos take extra steps so that you know who’s an actual employee of the company and who’s just a player. For example, here’s the text from Full Tilt Poker:

“Full Tilt Representatives appear in Green Text in the game software. Thieves will attempt to get information by offering “free money” or bonuses if you send them your account information. Some use misleading usernames like “System” or “FTAdmin”. If they do not appear in green text, they do not represent us and should not be listened to.”

Keeping it Encrypted

The security text must cover not only your identity but the assurance that your account is not in danger. Most reputable casino declare that any confidential information sent through is encrypted. Remember to play online only if the online casino in question informs you of the security measures that they offer. Some casinos offer you an audit trail as proof of their honesty. Here’s the text from BetUS:

“For peace of mind, BetUS.com provides you with a fully transparent and comprehensive audit trail on all games played, detailing the sums wagered and wins/losses. By doing this, we believe our members can wager with BetUS.com and have complete confidence and trust in our systems.”

Try checking an online casino you’d like to play at for real money. Compare them with other casinos you’ve played at before. View their homepage and read all the information you can about them. Click ‘About Us’ and ‘Security’ and you’ll get a look at what the casino is telling its players about how they’re protecting you from hacking and cheating.

Types of Online Casino Scams

There have been reports players claiming online identity theft, insider cheating, identity fraud, poker bots, and casino gaming credit card fraud. Users have had their identity stolen and their credit card accounts have been abused by others. Companies like LifeLock have sprung up in order to capitalize on this emerging online security market - hopefully ensuring 100% safety online. If you are ever in doubt that someone has seen your identity, immediately inform the casino webmaster or click on the online casino’s contact us page to seek online assistance. Here’s the text from PokerStars:

“We aim to keep our information about you as accurate as possible. You can write to us at any time to review, change, obtain a copy of your information or have your details altered or corrected in accordance with your rights under the Data Protection Act 2002.”

Identity theft over the internet is rampant and you as a player must do your due diligence and in-depth research to guarantee your safe play and knowledge that the online casino you’re playing at is dedicated to maintaining a secure playing environment.

Resources:: Full Tilt Poker - Join More Than 95,000 Poker Players Playing Online!

Related posts:

Wingows Poker Purchased by Walker Poker

Mike Smack — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:00:00 +0000

Wingows Gaming has been purchased by Walker Poker.

We don’t know currently how much this Walker-Wingows deal was for, but the essence is that WalkerPoker.com, which is operated by Colkom Inc. has taken over all assets of Wingows.com, which includes the entire Wingows Poker player database.

Wingows Poker, which has been running their online casino since 2006, was operating at first on the Dobrosoft network. Late 2006, the Dobrosoft network was sold off to Digital Gaming Network, based in Panama and Canada. Late 2007, Dobrosoft took over the company yet again, after DGN did a poor job of operating Wingows.com and the casino network – the new Wingows network was now named Gold Chip Network. Right after the Gold Chip Network (GCN) took over Wingows.com, it was found that DGN operators were embezzling escrow funds – which are supposed to be deposited in order to ensure casino player funds. This Wingows scandal really shocked the player base – causing many loyal and die-hard players to drift away from the internet poker casino.

The Wingows Scandal Fallout

What ended up happening was that Wingows compensated their poker players and casino affiliates from the company’s own money – affecting their bottom-line but hopefully regaining some measure of respectability and trust in the casino world.

“We tried to recover as much as possible but the loss was too big to handle at a short period of time. Most of the people got their money back from private company resources,” said a Wingows official. “We have come to a point where the network lacks the liquidity to recover itself and player’s money. Walker Poker ensured that it will do its best to help in recovering old funds.”

According to our sources, Wingows poker players lost at least $500,000 in poker player money when DGN was operating the network – and this doesn’t even include the loss of rakes! Wingows officials are hoping that this pickup of the company by Walker Poker will signal a new turn for the company which up to this point has been mired in controversy.

“We have decided to contribute 25% of the income from Wingows Poker players back to the players and affiliates who didn’t get their money. We believe most of the players and affiliates will get their money back in the first couple of months.” said the Walker Poker CEO.

What about the money I have in my Wingows Poker account?

The Colkom and Walker Poker CEO has spoken on this issue as such: “This will be a “per player” situation. Walker Poker team will contact each and every player with funds in his account and will work out the best way to recover his funds. We promise that all Wingows Poker players who have funds in their accounts will receive special bonuses and incentives to join Walker Poker and help them get their money back and of course a better poker environment”.

What is Walker Poker?

The WalkerPoker.com online casino was established in 2007 and is on the Merge Gaming network and also running on the Merge Gaming platform. Walker Poker is open to all players in the United States (as are all casinos under the Merge Gaming label). The network has had up to 6000 players online at any one time with 500-800 real money players.

WalkerPoker.com is offering a $750 free deposit bonus as well as tournaments running $10,000/$20,000 and $50,000 monthly. As a WalkerPoker.com member, you’re going to want to take a look at the Walker Poker VIP Club which means extra attention for you, including a complimentary personal assistant at your beck and call to help you out with any issues that may come up. On top of this special VIP poker treatment, you’ll get luxury travel packages including hotel accommodations in five star hotels around the world, flights, and free complimentary entry into real-life live poker casino tournaments.

Resources:: Full Tilt Poker - Join More Than 95,000 Poker Players Playing Online!

Related posts:

Three Card Monte: Learn How to Avoid Getting Cheated Out of Your Money

Mike Smack — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 22:13:24 +0000

Did you know that there are some casino-style gambling games that are impossible to win?

No matter what strategies, tips, and techniques you think you know – you just can’t win. Want to know the name of biggest loser game of all?

Three-card monte - a favorite of the con man. Maybe you’ve walked down the side streets of Las Vegas, Atlantic City, or your local casino district. You’ve seen this game being played and you saw someone winning some money and thought, “Damn, I want to get in on that – looks easy!” Read this article before you jump in – it just might save you some money.

The 3 Card Monte Scam: How it Works

The game of three-card monte has only one objective: to trick or delude you into believing that a simple bet you makes can earn you a lot of money. That’s it – nothing else! There is no three-card monte system you can learn or a three-card monte strategy guide to help you win. The way you get fooled is due to what is going on behind the scenes in this con game. The biggest con is that the audience is in on this game. There’s an outside man, who might look to you like just another man or woman checking out the three-card monte game. Looks can be deceiving though. This guy is part of the con and he’s trying to make you believe that he’s just an ordinary guy. Two other people are also involved, usually part of the audience as well that help to portray the image that this game is a legitimate casino-style game. In fact, that’s one of the ways they try to trick you into playing the game – this is called the hook.

In any con, the hook is the words that the con man will tell you in order to convince you to get involved by using your money. Part of the hook is maybe giving you a free bet (similar to a drug dealer that gives you the drug for free the first time – he knows you’ll get hooked on the drug and be willing to pay the second time you want it). In the three-card monte, the con man will tell you about how the casino is a big con because you never win due to the house edge. By setting the casino across the street as the con, it subconsciously makes you believe that his game is actually the easier game to win compared to the casino – and that the casino is the con man, not him. Of course, he’ll throw out some jokes to get you laughing so you get relaxed and think, “Hey, this is a cool guy – he wouldn’t con me". The outside man (which is part of the audience but is actually in on the con) may pressure you to bet as well saying, “What are you scared of betting? Just bet a little dude!”

The 3 Card Monte Scam: The Con-Man Setup

Now that we’ve talked about the setup of the con, let’s talk about how the game is played and the way these con-man learn how to cheat casino players using three-card monte. They first find a location with a lot of foot traffic – and obviously the foot traffic must be largely consisting of people conducive to gambling. The location must have good foot traffic yet be far enough from the police – the police will always break up a three-card monte game. Once the prime location has been chosen, the con men put up a small table with three cards on top of it. The lead 3 card monte conman (the one handling the cards who is behind the table) tells the crowd that has formed that one of these cards is a queen. The crowd is then instructed to follow the queen as he shuffles the cards around the three spots. If he gets a mark (the one falling for the con that will soon lose his money) that person must point at one of those three cards – choosing the one he thinks is the queen. If the mark would ever win he would get 1:1 payment – meaning he gets the money he bet plus that amount (he bets $100 – he gets his original $100 back plus an extra $100). This seems so easy – yet this is exactly why so many people fall for this trap.

Another way people get hooked is that one of the co-conspirators bets and he wins a few times. The crowd thinks he’s just a regular guy winning money, so they start to bet. Of course, they all lose – only the ones involved in this crime ever “win”. What to know what makes it even worse? Let’s say you’re betting in 3-card monte, you put down a $20 bet and you actually pick the right card. One of the co-conspirators will put down $50 on the wrong card and lead con-man will say, “Whoa, I gotta go with the larger bet sorry” and you lose again.

Here’s a video on con-men cheating people using 3 card monte and how to avoid getting duped:

Resources:: Full Tilt Poker - Join More Than 95,000 Poker Players Playing Online!

Related posts:

Gambling Baby: Casino Demands Money From Infant

Mike Smack — Tue, 20 May 2008 06:00:50 +0000

Little Danica Foster is taking baby steps in her development - she can play peek-a-boo and can make baby sounds - her parents say they can understand her every sound. How she was sent a complaint by an Internal Collections Department of a major online casino is a little harder to understand.

Mark Foster of Custer City, Oklahoma was flabbergasted when he received a formal complaint in the mail from a major online casino addressed to his 6-month-old daughter. The letter demanded the balance of $16,857 to be paid in full immediately to prevent having the file referred to a collections agency. Neither Mark nor his wife Stacy were named in the letter - and what’s worse, neither Mark nor Stacy are casino players.

Doing All They Can to Protect Their Baby

“Me and my wife were just completely appalled and disgusted,” said Mark. “I mean, this casino is sending a bill to my 6-month-old daughter demanding her to pay ten thousand dollars? That’s just sick in my mind and they should be ashamed of themselves. When I demanded to know what games were played in the casino, they told me that most of the games played were on a slot machine game called Mid-Life Crisis. Yeah that makes sense, a 6-month-old baby playing a slot machine game called Mid-Life Crisis. This whole situation is just beyond ridiculous for us right now.”

Mark says he’s taken steps to contact the casino and explain that no one in his household has played there, but the casino insists that the charges are accurate and that immediate payment is demanded otherwise legal action will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law against his daughter. Mark believes that someone has stolen his daughter’s identity and used the identity to play in the online casino.

“We are all really scared right now of these guys. We really are,” says concerned mother Stacy. “They’ve threatened to sue us and to even sue our daughter. They even threatened to go after the college fund that we’ve saved for her and worked so hard for. It’s really terrifying for us and we want this situation to just go away.”

The Casino Continues Their Pursuit

This is the latest item they’ve received from the casino:

Your information is going to be referred for derogatory 3rd party credit reporting to Equifax, Experian and TransUnion if this matter is not resolved. You may want to begin seeking independent legal counsel, as this outstanding balance will not simply disappear because you claim that your daughter’s identity was allegedly stolen.

They have already hired a lawyer for this situation and their legal counsel has requested them to not name the casino involved at the present time. We’ll keep you updated as to how this situation unfolds.

Resources:: Full Tilt Poker - Join More Than 95,000 Poker Players Playing Online!

Related posts:

Devious Blackjack Dealers: Cheating Strategies You Need to Know

Mike Smack — Mon, 05 May 2008 22:00:07 +0000

Of course, you can imagine that all major casinos ensure that no cheating takes place in their premises (::cough cough:: APS). As the law requires, the casino’s gambling license will be forfeited should it cheat any of its players. Mind you, not only do the actual players execute some pretty elaborate cheating plans but the boxmen, dealers, and other employees of the casino may get into the cheating action as well. However, it is less probable that any of the Atlantic City or Nevada casinos do so - they have too much at stake, plus they make boatloads of money anyway without having to resort to casino cheating tactics! Those which are not governed and monitored by the Nevada Gaming Commission, such as cruise ships, are most likely to commit this type of criminal act.

The reality is, casinos do make HUGE amounts of money. And I mean GINORMOUSLY HUGE. So these massively profitable casinos don’t have to resort to cheating to make their cash on the casino floor. Anyhow, the blackjack game, compared to most casino card games, is a little more prone to cheating - many times through the tag-team of a cheating player combined with a cheating dealer.

The Two Biggest Blackjack Cheating Strategies

Let’s talk about the blackjack cheating technique known as the “second deal”. This cheating technique makes it appear that the blackjack dealer is giving you the top card but in fact what is dealt is the card that lies under it. Just think about money that can be made when you get a low card at the precise time you need it and how you also crash on a high card when it comes up at an inopportune time. Well, a top-notch and brainy “second dealer” can turn the fates of even the most notable blackjack player upside down in a very short period of time.

The other blackjack cheating technique is termed as “high-low pickup”. It’s usually done in an environment where there’s hundreds of distractions swirling around. The “high-low pickup” is done through the “false shuffle” wherein the blackjack croupier (dealer) makes it appear to reshuffle the cards when in fact the decks remain in their original position.

Why I’m telling you this: It’s good to know

I’m not telling you these techniques in order to scare you from playing blackjack at live tables, nor am I telling you this so you can start a blackjack outlaw crew and learn some dirty casino strategies. It’s good to know what’s out there though and what you might encounter in the real world of casinos. If you know these are tactics that some unscrupulous blackjack casinos and dealers do, then you are more aware and you won’t fall for it. Worst thing to have in the world of casinos is ignorance. If you’re smart, you can make your bets, have some fun, make some money, and not succumb to these cheating tactics.

Resources:: Full Tilt Poker - Join More Than 95,000 Poker Players Playing Online!

Related posts:

ePassporte Closing Down Services for Online Casino Players

Mike Smack — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 05:00:00 +0000

At first, there were only rumors.

Now it’s official. ePassporte is shutting down all services for the online casino community.

On April 11th, the most popular and remaining payment solution went down for most of the day, claiming that they were having some technical issues. However, news later broke that online casinos were advising their customers that the payment solution ePassporte will no longer be servicing customers in the United States.

Apparently, ePassporte will not be able to continue to provide e-wallet services, and that the problem is not limited a few casino rooms, but is in fact industry wide. Other reports also conclude that the problem is “worldwide” and is not isolated in the United States market. ePassporte is based outside of the United States. A few days after the news broke, reports show that customers are no longer able to withdraw monies using the ePassporte ATM.

According to multiple online sources, there will be a widespread investigation against the payment solution company. This only adds to the current turmoil, as 2007 was a rough year for many casino websites and players, as many payment processors, such as NETeller, EcoCard, Citadel and FirePay, shut down unexpectedly. 2008 may run a similar course.

A majority of online poker rooms have been using and relying heavily on ePassporte, since other processors have closed down - with Neteller being a notable one, when it was forced to exit the US online casino market. At the time, Neteller was the largest payment solution. It seems that ePassporte is having the same problems as those of Neteller and MyCitadel. Perhaps this is a result of a breach in security, where monies are getting transferred from unsuspecting clients accounts without their knowledge and consent.

Online sources speculate that ePassporte has flaws in its system. There are reports of unauthorized transactions and many anomalies, not to mention that the customer service is not also responding to either calls or e-mail inquiries regarding clients’ accounts. Also, any requests for physical Visa cards from them are taking forever to get processed.

One reader relayed his story about his request for a physical Visa card. He paid the $40 to get it and he still has not received anything from ePassporte. The third time he called he finally was able to speak to a customer representative and was informed that the card had been sent weeks earlier and that he should have received it already. The customer service representative then said they blocked the old card and they will be sending a new one, but still nothing was ever received.

With this official announcement, the problem surrounding ePassporte is scary for most of the online casino community. It can hurt many online casino players, since this is one of the few payment solutions that cater to the US customers. It would be well advised to review other payment solutions as it doesn’t seem like ePassporte will be returning to the casino market any time soon.

Resources:: Full Tilt Poker - Join More Than 95,000 Poker Players Playing Online!

Related posts:

Absolute Casino Poker Online Cheating Opinion | Another Viewpoint

Mike Smack — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:00:32 +0000

From Maudie:

Before I get going on this diatribe, some disclosure is necessary.

First - I have cheated at poker in that I’ve taken advantage of players who do not protect their hole cards.
Second - I have had more than one on-line account at Ultimate Bet and at Party Gaming (one with Party Poker and one with Empire - Party’s mirror site).
Third - I have never played online with more than one account at a time at any single site.
Fourth - I’ve discussed hands while in play with another person via IM.

Let me add one other confession to the above - as a so-called poker blogger, I am embarrassed that I have ignored the issue of the Absolute Poker cheating scandal. Sadly, my voice isn’t the only one in the poker blogosphere that has remained silent on the issue.

If you’re a poker player, unless you’ve been in the wilderness and completely unplugged for the last four or five months, you have heard of the scandal. But in case you’re the one who hasn’t - at the end of this post are links to several sources that can get you up to speed.

When the scandal broke last October, I was one of no doubt many who, like me, shook their head and said, “I’m glad I don’t play on that site” and then returned to business as usual. I didn’t blog about it, didn’t discuss it. I was briefly dismayed and not just a little but cynical about the whole matter. But, I didn’t do anything about it.

However, in the last week or so, since the finding of the independent audit was published, I began to think about it more. And the more I thought about, the more outraged I became. And the more confused.

I am outraged that Absolute Poker’s first reaction when the cheating was brought to their attention was to deny it. Then they deleted files which were potential evidence. They claimed it was inadvertent but it doesn’t take a full blown computer geek to see that as complete hogwash. Their response was almost too little too late.

Now they’ve paid a $500,000 fine and have been returning funds to affected players, with interest, which amounts to over $1 mil. They are also embracing this as “an opportunity to improve our internal practices.” More power to them. I hope they do. I am wondering, though, if they aren’t secretly patting each other on the back for getting off so lightly.

I am confused because I can discern no real effort on the part of the leaders in the poker community to address this breach of the players’ trust. Specifically, I am pointing my finger at the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), of which I am a member. I am in agreement with Frank Frisna at Life’s a Bluff who has been calling the PPA out about this issue.

The PPA wants to sweep the issue under the carpet. Their reasoning is that to bring it to light would only serve to fuel the fire of those in Washington who see online gaming as the big evil. They have a point, but only a small one. I would humbly suggest that they take another look at the first paragraph in their mission statement and rethink their strategy.

Burying our heads in the sand and pretending the problem isn’t there does little to solve it and, ultimately, advance the cause. Why wait for some tight ass Senator to throw the scandal back in our face? You know they will. Why not hit it head on, full disclosure - shout it from the rooftops, and then call for action from the online industry to clean up its own act.

I agree with Gary Wise - ESPN Poker club who stated in an article published yesterday:

“Poker remains to this day a world divided: WSOP and WPT, Bluff and CardPlayer, PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, the biggest islands in the lawless industry ocean. If these entities stopped focusing on beating the other guy for just a minute of each day, it would mean so much to the long-term health of the game.”

I’m sure I’m a hopeless idealist, but if the big entities could come together or, if at the very least, the leaders in the online sites could enlist much tougher sanctions on and a more watchful eye for cheaters, it might just provide some powerful ammunition for the fight to get online gaming some respect in Washington.

I dunno. I’ve rambled on about all I can. I’m just one lowly player who wants to be able to play poker when and where I want and feel safe - where the only stealing going on is from the button. The bottom line is that I think the PPA is off base with wanting to bury this issue. I fear it’s going to come back and bite them in the butt.

As for me - I have the choice not to look at exposed hole cards, and I now make that choice. I have the choice not to discuss hands while in play. I now make that choice. I have the choice not to exploit a technical vulnerability that allows me more than one account. If I ever get to play anywhere but Full Tilt Poker again - I now make that choice. There are many levels to cheating - we must be diligent that we don’t succumb. Sounds hokey, I’m sure, but integrity begins with me.

Resources:: Full Tilt Poker - Join More Than 95,000 Poker Players Playing Online!

Related posts:

Las Vegas Casino Security Expert Steve Forte Arrested For Cheating

Mike Smack — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:00:23 +0000

From Dr Pauly:

Most never reach the level of poker where the cream of the crop cheaters…cheat. The really good sleigh of hand people aren’t interested in the pocket change being pushed across a kitchen table. Move up a few levels and the card table may be in a well known card room’s private salon and the pots being pushed across the table can buy a house. Ratchet up another level to the major poker tournaments and the amounts of money at stake can finance a third World country for a year or two.

How do we know we’re getting a fair and unbiased cut of the cards in a poker game that allows no player an advantage other than their poker skills? We don’t know. We rely on the reputation of the poker room and the Gaming Control people to police the operations to ensure they are fair and the cards are coming off the top of the deck. So, who does the world’s largest casino operator and owner of the WSOP entrust with this weighty responsibility? According to his website, it is Steve Forte.

Las Vegas resident Steve Forte is the man the casinos, poker rooms, poker tournaments, and practically all other forms of gambling call to ensure players get an even bet. Steve has taught practically everyone in the gaming industry how to set the traps to catch the evil cheating low life. Last June 7th Steve Forte got his foot stuck in one of those very same cheater’s traps when New Jersey State Police officers arrested him and three partners in a room at the Borgata Casino. The police also confiscated several devices used in high-tech cheating including sub-miniature video cameras, two way communications equipment and portable computers.

Ironically, this arrest time frame coincides with the start of the Borgata Summer Poker Open Tournament which boasts a $5K final event with a million plus prize pool. A New Jersey AG spokesperson said the alleged scams were not aimed at the tournament; but, the fact that the arrests were kept quiet until late July spawned rumors in the poker community that Forte and his confederates were targeting the tournament.

Even though he is charged with allegedly conspiring to cheat high-stakes poker games we must remember that everyone is innocent until judged to be guilty. Of course, Steve Forte is maintaining his innocence, according to his friends. No longer the book selling publicity hound, he has refused all request for media interviews. Arrested with Steve Forte were Stephen Phillips of Las Vegas, James Harrison of Duluth, Minnesota, and Joseph Ingargiola of Playa del Ray, California.

FYI, Steve Forte was arrested and convicted of a felony cheating scam in 1990 in New Jersey. He was also arrested in 1982 at Harrah’s and charged with two felony counts related to a fradulent act before pleading guilty to a lessor trespassing charge. When you hire a cheat to protect the poker game from cheats you get exactly what you paid for, a really good cheat that apparently wants much more than just the check for his services.

Resources:: Full Tilt Poker - Join More Than 95,000 Poker Players Playing Online!

Related posts:

What You Should Know About the Wingows Poker Move

Mike Smack — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 23:30:32 +0000

There’s some poker network switching going on.

Wingows Poker used to be part of the Digital Gaming Network (DGN). Now it’s not. It’s part of the Gold Chip Network now.

What the heck is a poker network?

Well, if we take the Gold Chip Network (GCN) for example, it’s an association of independent poker operators that work worldwide. Each poker room has their own associate within the network - making it 9 independent networks inside of the GCN. Each associate in the network has their own customer service and support, management, processing solutions, and other miscellaneous business services and processes. The GCN also runs tournaments that span all casinos in the network and manages them - which is a big help to the individual casino. Less management for them means less headaches. Better for players like us because there’s a big company running fraud and collusion checks.

What’s changing and what’s staying the same with the Wingows poker casino?

Wingows Poker is still going to be offering their VIP and Rakeback program to all Real Money players (RPP) along with their first and second deposit bonus - a free $750 bonus. One great new addition to the new Wingows Poker network move is a MEGA Bad Beat Jackpot - currently at more than $100,000.

Their poker tournaments also give you the chance to get tickets to the World Poker Showdown Bahamas (going on January 7th to the 9th of 2008), daily and weekly freerolls with guaranteed prizes of more than $100,000, holiday tournaments, and National Football League (NFL) tournaments.

As always, the Wingows software is compatible with Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows 2000 and Microsoft Windows 2003 .

A new addition to Wingows Poker is a new MEGA Guaranteed tournament for real money players, so if you’re not a RPP yet, sign up to Wingows, log in, and make your first deposit to check out the brand new additions to the room.

Resources:: Full Tilt Poker - Join More Than 95,000 Poker Players Playing Online!

Related posts:

Wingows Poker Purchased by Walker Poker