ACR Poker, the leading online poker operator, today began implementing a new set of stringent rules that include banning the use of virtual machines and prohibiting real-time screen share tools that the company has found to be used by a small number of players to work together in ways that gave them an unfair advantage in certain games and certain tournament situations.
In July, ACR Poker sent direct warning communications to all the players known to have been using such devices (some for legitimate training purposes), informing those players that ACR Poker will no longer allow such use in conjunction with running ACR Poker beginning August 3rd.
This decision to eliminate the use of virtual machines is part of a range of additional measures designed to improve the gameplay experience for the wider poker ecosystem.
The changes to the Terms & Conditions, which can be viewed here, come into effect immediately, and players who violate the policy will receive one warning on the first offence, and account suspensions or permanent bans and potential confiscation of funds on further offences. Notably, a no virtual machine ban means ACR Poker software must be accessed and run directly from a native hard drive.
In addition to virtual machines, the changes also prohibit the use of tools that allow players to remotely access another computer or operating system, such as Team Viewer, and any physical or virtual environments or devices that assist in the circumvention of ACR Poker’s new security measures.
ACR Poker intends for this action to help ensure a level playing field on ACR as it works tirelessly to uncover bad actors and cheats as they attempt to find vulnerabilities in our game security and integrity platform and people.
ACR Poker engages sophisticated artificial intelligence and machine learning programs to identify bad actors, enlists dozens of game security and integrity specialists working full-time, and also leverages the input of hundreds of players when they report suspicious activities by players on the site. Combined, these efforts match those of the other major online poker sites and provide the best assurance that ACR Poker is among the safest and most secure sites.
One recent investigation spurred by player information revealed evidence of multiple accounts involved in coordinated violations of ACR’s terms of service. As a result, eight accounts were banned for collusion, and an additional 25 related accounts were banned as a precaution due to suspicious activities and their ties to the eight banned accounts.
ACR Poker has already taken appropriate measures to address any harm caused. A total of $184,000 has been reallocated, and tournament results have been corrected to ensure fairness among impacted players. ACR Poker sincerely apologizes for any inconvenience caused and continues to invest heavily in technology and processes to proactively detect and investigate any potential violations in order to deliver enhanced player security.
“I’m sad that we have to engage in this high-tech game of Whack a Mole, but it’s important for us to try to stay ahead of the bad guys,” said Chris Moneymaker, ACR Poker Pro. “I’ve been playing online poker for more than 20 years now, and just as the cheaters get more sophisticated, so have the poker rooms. ACR invests heavily in technology and people to deliver as fair a game as any of the major sites.”