AGA Releases Code Of Conduct For Licensed Online Poker Companies

The American Gaming Association released an official code of conduct for all potential U.S. licensed online poker companies on Tuesday, stating six principles to ensure a safe and secure gaming experience should online poker legislation pass.

According to the online poker headquarters section of their website, all operators should be required to:

1. Submit to Extensive Background Investigations of the Company and Key Personnel

All companies will meet the regulatory standards established by the licensing state for online poker licensing and should agree to a thorough background investigation to determine its and its officers’ fitness to operate a gambling business, as well as strict auditing to ensure the fairness of games offered online. Effective regulation of online poker must begin with the integrity of the operators themselves and the fairness of the games provided.

2. Ensure Proper Identification of Every U.S. Online Poker Player

All companies will establish a reliable method for identifying every poker player, using credit and public registration databases, as well as the latest geolocation, age verification and other online customer identification technologies. Only by reliable identification of online poker players can operators enforce the other regulatory requirements detailed below.

3. Submit to Regular Testing and Auditing of Online Poker Software

All companies will allow their software to be extensively tested and audited to ensure that the games play out according to their own rules and that they pay off as promised.

4. Implement Effective Player Exclusion Processes

All companies will exclude from their websites a) underage poker players, b) all residents of U.S. jurisdictions that have not legalized online poker, c) those players who have self-excluded from the site, and d) those poker players found to have cheated or otherwise violated laws relating to online poker.

5. Incorporate Effective Responsible Gaming Protections on Their Sites

Companies will provide responsible gaming protections on all online poker sites, including a) on-screen links to sites that provide problem gambling services, b) easy access for the poker player to information about his gambling history, and c) tools that will permit the poker player to limit the size of his bets, the amount or frequency of his deposits into his online poker account, or to voluntarily self-exclude from the website entirely. Although research has shown that online poker players are not particularly susceptible to developing pathological gambling problems, they still should be provided with these responsible gaming tools, which the online environment permits.

6. Implement Effective Anti-Money-Laundering Procedures

Companies will adhere to the federal anti-money-laundering procedures imposed on commercial and tribal casinos. Additionally, they will implement monitoring and auditing procedures and money transfer restrictions to limit and identify attempts to launder money. They also will agree to share information on cheating with other licensed online poker companies as required by state licensing authorities.

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