PokerStars Restricting Chinese Poker Players

Earlier this year, PokerStars encountered a collusion scandal that greatly affect their reputation as the world's largest poker room. It was back in August when studies uncovered the online casino site's major problem which is believed to be a collusion ring that was being run on the site by Chinese Poker players. It is assumed that the chinese players worked together to defraud other players. And according to some reports, PokerStars paid out more than $2 million in damages to the other players who were victimized by the collusion ring.

Taking actions to solve this problem, PokerStars decided to change their policy regarding Chinese players. From now on they will only be allowing one chinese poker player per table. And if the table do currently have a Chinese player sitting there, the new player would have to wait for the other player to leave the table before joining.

Poker players in China received the following email from the PokerStars team:

PokerStars has introduced a new security feature which prevents players from certain countries playing at the same ring game table. This restriction means that only one player from each of these countries is able to play at the same ring game table.

You are able to play at any ring game table you wish, but once you are seated no other player from your country will be able to join the table. Similarly, if another player from your country is seated, you will be unable to join that table until they leave.

We regret the inconvenience that this has caused you, but this policy has been implemented to enhance the integrity of the games.

This effort will put an end to all collusion from the chinese players. However, some speculations arises along with this decision. Some says that the policy was implemented because the company found evidence of another collusion ring operating in China. While others speculate that the company is being proactive.

Regardless of what people thinks, PokerStars' decision suggests two things. First, a large proportion of the Chinese players on Pokerstars are colluders/fraudsters. Second, the fraudsters have been able to outsmart Pokerstars’ anti-collusion system.

Most Chinese gamblers were disappointed on this news. For them, the decision was too unfair. It is quite requested that PokerStars should have a look at what other platform was done for cheating. If not, the online poker room is discriminating against an entire country for treating all of their citizens as potential threats.

On the side of PokerStars, their policy may have gone too far but this was only done to protect everybody playing at their website. This is simply a ban on more than one Chinese player sitting at the same table. Actually this restriction was nothing compared to the law that was passed in 2002 in which placing online wagers at any company other than the state-run monopoly is illegal.

After explaining the new rules, PokerStars stated, "Regret the inconvenience that this has caused you but this policy has been implemented to enhance the integrity of the games.”