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Pennsylvania poker players at PokerStars PA experienced a frustrating night at the tables on Thursday. Online poker tournaments, cash games and other forms of online betting in PA and NJ were interrupted for about an hour around 9 p.m. EST.
It was confirmed today that the issues derived from a network communications error that interrupted geolocation services that online gambling operators rely on. Online tournaments continued while players sat out, many returning to much shorter chip stacks or no chips at all.
As of Friday, the issue appears resolved, with players to receive refunds by Saturday morning. PokerStars communicated the following via Twitter Friday morning:
'Yesterday we experienced issues with our geolocation services. We apologize for any inconvenience. This is now resolved, and you should be able to access your account normally. If you were affected in any tournaments, please allow up to 24 hrs for your account to be refunded.'
GeoGuard Geolocation service the source of the outage
This morning, Elizabeth Cronan, VP, government relations of GeoGuard/GeoComply, provided the following statement to US Poker:
'Last night, we encountered an unexpected network communications error, which our team responded to and remedied immediately. We have alerted all affected clients, and they are aware of the issue and the steps that were taken to resolve it as quickly as possible.'
The GeoGuard app or plug-in allows online casino and sportsbook players to access their accounts and wager via browser on desktop or mobile. Geolocation software is an important piece of the legal gambling puzzle. It allows operators to confirm that a user is indeed within state borders where gambling is approved and regulated. Another company rep confirmed:
'Our internal teams identified an issue that temporarily affected the communication systems within our data center.'
The sole reliance on the GeoComply service means most players in Pennsylvania who were gambling online during the outage were affected. Even the mobile gambling apps in the state utilize geolocation via GeoComply, though it is built in.
PokerStars PA and NJ players affected
While regular daily tournaments were running at PokerStars PA, New Jersey was playing out Thursday's NJCOOP events, consisting of:
- $250 NLHE [8-Max, Progressive KO, Thursday Thrill SE], $30K Gtd
- $30 NLHE [8-Max, Progressive KO, Mini Thrill], $10K Gtd
- $150 NLHE [Turbo], $15K Gtd
The series wraps up on Monday, with the $125K guaranteed $300 buy-in Main Event kicking off Sunday. PokerStars will hope for no further disruptions.
How will poker player refunds work?
A poker player in NJ tweeted the following, indicating that at least some players were still online while others were 'sitting out.'
Another extremely sad day for online poker .. as the geo location software crashes again and I'm watching players just steal chips from the entire table @PokerStarsUSA@WSOPcom .. at least party froze their games
— Stanton Tentnowski (@Stonniepokes) October 23, 2020
Apparently the same thing took place at PokerStars PA, with limited players taking advantage and chipping up through defenseless players. PlayPennsylvania has reached out to PokerStars for comment on how this situation will be dealt with, as many players blinded out or down significantly during the downtime.
A PokerStars rep told Play Pennsylvania:
'The day after the issues, we refunded players en masse based either on the equity they lost during the outage or given as a full refund of the tournament buy-in. Players should be able to find their credits in their transaction history.'
For any further concerns or issues with the refund, players can contact PokerStars via its customer service page or message @StarsSupport on Twitter.
This story will be updated as additional information becomes available. If you were affected and want to share your story with us, feel free to message us @PlayPANews on Twitter.
Lead image via Dreamstime.
On Wednesday, the Washington State Gambling Commission tweeted that it has been receiving questions about free online casino and poker sites, such as PokerStars, denying access to state residents.
We've received questions about #FreePoker sites denying access to Washington residents. Please read below to learn more. Our agency did not order these sites to deny access to free poker. If you have concerns, please contact the websites directly. pic.twitter.com/idhLg95GGF
— WA Gambling Comm (@WAGambling) April 4, 2018
What prompted PokerStars to stop offering play money poker?
A recent ruling by Ninth Circuit of U.S. Court of Appeals stated that social casino games are illegal under the State of Washington's existing gambling laws.
It began back in 2015 after a woman lost over $1,000 in virtual chips. She sued Churchill Downs, the then-parent company of Big Fish Casino over the loss.
Under Washington law, gambling is 'risking something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance.'
It all boils down to what constitutes value. Value, according to the law, includes anything that can be exchanged for money or the 'the extension of a service, entertainment, or a privilege of playing a game or scheme without charge.'
The appeals court reversed the decision of the lower court ruling that virtual chips are not a thing of value.
Big Fish Casino prohibited the sale of virtual chips for money, but it did require players to use virtual chips to play their games. That means virtual chips have a value because players cannot play without them.
With virtual chips now defined as having value, it stands to reason, play money casino and poker games are in violation of Washington States gambling laws.
PokerStars responds to blocking play money games
USPoker requested comment from PokerStars on the matter this week and received the following statement from a company spokesperson:
'On Thursday, March 29, 2018, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that, under Washington State law, free-to-play games violate state gambling regulations. As a result, The Stars Group is immediately taking actions to block play related to social gaming from Washington State. We are reviewing the rulings and ensuring that our activities are in line with state regulations. We are hopeful the law will be clarified and that when it is, we will be able to reinstate all Washington players at their current status.'
The statement falls in line with the jurisdiction review policy on the PokerStars website.
'Our management team regularly reviews our operations along with independent 3rd party professionals to assess the business risks and opportunities for our brands on a market-by-market basis.'
PokerStars taking precautions
PokerStars blocking access to its play money site in Washington is smart. It tells the U.S. gaming market that it isn't leaving anything to chance.
Back in 2013, Nevada became the first state to regulate and legalize online poker. The bill included bad actor language in its legislation.
A bad actor is any company that allowed U.S. citizens to play poker on its site after the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in 2006.
Labeled a bad actor, PokerStars was not allowed to enter the market in Nevada when it launched.
'The day after the issues, we refunded players en masse based either on the equity they lost during the outage or given as a full refund of the tournament buy-in. Players should be able to find their credits in their transaction history.'
For any further concerns or issues with the refund, players can contact PokerStars via its customer service page or message @StarsSupport on Twitter.
This story will be updated as additional information becomes available. If you were affected and want to share your story with us, feel free to message us @PlayPANews on Twitter.
Lead image via Dreamstime.
On Wednesday, the Washington State Gambling Commission tweeted that it has been receiving questions about free online casino and poker sites, such as PokerStars, denying access to state residents.
We've received questions about #FreePoker sites denying access to Washington residents. Please read below to learn more. Our agency did not order these sites to deny access to free poker. If you have concerns, please contact the websites directly. pic.twitter.com/idhLg95GGF
— WA Gambling Comm (@WAGambling) April 4, 2018
What prompted PokerStars to stop offering play money poker?
A recent ruling by Ninth Circuit of U.S. Court of Appeals stated that social casino games are illegal under the State of Washington's existing gambling laws.
It began back in 2015 after a woman lost over $1,000 in virtual chips. She sued Churchill Downs, the then-parent company of Big Fish Casino over the loss.
Under Washington law, gambling is 'risking something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance.'
It all boils down to what constitutes value. Value, according to the law, includes anything that can be exchanged for money or the 'the extension of a service, entertainment, or a privilege of playing a game or scheme without charge.'
The appeals court reversed the decision of the lower court ruling that virtual chips are not a thing of value.
Big Fish Casino prohibited the sale of virtual chips for money, but it did require players to use virtual chips to play their games. That means virtual chips have a value because players cannot play without them.
With virtual chips now defined as having value, it stands to reason, play money casino and poker games are in violation of Washington States gambling laws.
PokerStars responds to blocking play money games
USPoker requested comment from PokerStars on the matter this week and received the following statement from a company spokesperson:
'On Thursday, March 29, 2018, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that, under Washington State law, free-to-play games violate state gambling regulations. As a result, The Stars Group is immediately taking actions to block play related to social gaming from Washington State. We are reviewing the rulings and ensuring that our activities are in line with state regulations. We are hopeful the law will be clarified and that when it is, we will be able to reinstate all Washington players at their current status.'
The statement falls in line with the jurisdiction review policy on the PokerStars website.
'Our management team regularly reviews our operations along with independent 3rd party professionals to assess the business risks and opportunities for our brands on a market-by-market basis.'
PokerStars taking precautions
PokerStars blocking access to its play money site in Washington is smart. It tells the U.S. gaming market that it isn't leaving anything to chance.
Back in 2013, Nevada became the first state to regulate and legalize online poker. The bill included bad actor language in its legislation.
A bad actor is any company that allowed U.S. citizens to play poker on its site after the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in 2006.
Labeled a bad actor, PokerStars was not allowed to enter the market in Nevada when it launched.
It was 2011 when the Department of Justice shut down U.S. online gaming sites. Since that time, PokerStars has been diligent in its dealing in the U.S. gaming market.
Currently, Pennsylvania is preparing for online gaming, and PokerStars intends to be 'among the first operators to launch.'
PokerStars operates in New Jersey under the Resorts AC gaming license. Mohegan Sun manages Resorts and owns Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in Pennsylvania.
A partnership between any Pennsylvania casino and PokerStars is only speculation at this time. And it's likely New Jersey and Pennsylvania is just the beginning for PokerStars.
It is reasonable to think PokerStars has an eye on expanding in the U.S. beyond New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Especially as the debate around online gaming legislation continues in several states.
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