Caesars Entertainment opposed a proposed piece of legislation seeking to create a list of people who are banned or suspended for cheating through online gambling accounts in the state of Nevada.
At the latest hearing that took place at the Assembly Judiciary Committee earlier this week, Caesars Entertainment came up with a statement opposing bill AB380, which seeks to force regulatory bodies in the state to create a list of individuals who have been banned or suspended for cheating through their gambling accounts on the Internet.
The proposed piece of legislation was drafted by Sara Cholhagian Ralston, a professional poker player, who submitted an amendment to the existing gambling legislation in order to address liability and privacy concerns. However, Mike Alonso, the lobbyist for Caesars Entertainment, stated that while the operator has joined forces with the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) in an effort to keep the aforementioned transgressions off-site, the efforts of the bill’s sponsor for transparency could damage someone’s reputation or encourage some players to seek compensation.
Online poker was officially legalized in the state of Nevada in 2013. For the time being, there is only one online poker platform – the one of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) operated by Caesars Entertainment – available in the state. Due to the fact that only one online poker platform is currently operational within state borders, the local authorities do not disclose the revenue generated from the activity.
Cheating in Gambling Currently Addressed in Nevada’s Gambling Law
Gambling cheating is covered by state law and currently falls under the jurisdiction of the Gaming Control Board, with Caesars Entertainment cooperating with the regulator and providing reports as required by law. The vice president of Caesars Digital that is the unit operating the WSOP website, Danielle Barille, confirmed for the Assembly Judiciary Committee that every poker hand played on the online poker site is currently controlled and monitored through the company’s software advanced algorithms. In addition, Ms. Barille explained that Caesars Interactive is in the process of reducing the number of accounts violating its terms of service, following reasonable suspicion.
Currently, the state of Nevada is part of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement that was established in 2014 with the state of Delaware to set up a player fool for two of the nation’s smallest states in terms of population. Now, a total of four states are included in the agreement – Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, and Michigan.
At the time when the hearing before the Assembly Judiciary Committee was held, assemblyman Ken Gray raised some concerns regarding the release of the names of poker players who have cheated and the potential for public shaming, especially when it comes to labeling some people as cheaters without concrete evidence.
The sponsor of the aforementioned piece of legislation, however, emphasized how important transparency was for the poker community in Nevada in order for maximum protection for players to be guaranteed. Ms. Ralston explained that in the world of online poker, players are often not provided with enough details about their rivals, which makes it challenging for them to make informed decisions in their gameplay. She shared that online poker players should be given relevant information to decide who they want to play with and who they want to avoid and highlighted the need for consumer protection.
