The insider cheating affair at the two online poker rooms, UltimateBet and Absolute Poker, refuses to die down. This is even after the two poker rooms have completed their investigations, put in corrective measures and are refunding losses.
Now Alfonse D’Amato, the chairman of the Poker Players Alliance, has released a statement condemning the cheating and calling for greater governmental regulation. He said that the whole online poker industry was based on trust and this trust has been lost in the insider cheating affair. He called upon the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, which has licensed UltimateBet and Absolute Poker, to make a complete, transparent and public disclosure of what has happened. He finally said that only governmental regulation could provide the legal framework for addressing and preventing such incidents.
D’Amato’s statement, which has echoed that of many poker pros like Annie Duke, seems to advocate a compromise under the total ban that exists in the U.S. under the UIGEA and total freedom that exists elsewhere.