Partypoker has closed more than 2,000 bots and other fraudulent accounts since late 2019, when investigators from the Entain online poker brand started compiling and posting statistics from the shutdowns.
While the operator continues to close rogue accounts, the number of accounts it has shut over the years continues to decline. There were 713 accounts shut down in 2019 and 608 in 2020, but the total slipped to 322 in 2021 and 276 in 2022, according to a web page maintained by partypoker.
The total amount seized and redistributed to affected players since late 2019 has topped $1.9 million, according to partypoker, although the amounts have been declining as the number of closed accounts also drops.
In 2019, partypoker seized $987,308 and redistributed it to affected players. The next year, the amount seized declined by more than half before landing at $462,541. The operator seized and redistributed $47,344 in 2021, followed by $26,173 in 2022.
The inclusion of two months of data push partypoker over the marks for 2,000 accounts closed and $1.9 million seized. A total of $416,967 was seized from 76 shuttered accounts in December 2018, the very first month data was collected; just $3,764 was taken from 32 fraudulent accounts in January 2023, the most recent month with figures available.
Full Year Account Closure Statistics
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounts Closed | 713 | 608 | 322 | 276 |
| Total Seized ($) | $987,308 | $462,541 | $47,344 | $26,173 |
| Avg Seize per Account | $1,385 | $761 | $147 | $95 |
Partypoker’s campaign against bots and fraudulent accounts is part of ongoing efforts to make its online poker rooms a “fairer place to play.” The campaign is led by a Game Integrity team, which the operator said is “comprised largely of former online poker professionals who are familiar with the current poker landscape. They possess a range of skills and disciplines that allow them to react to reports quickly and efficiently.”
“The team uses a variety of detection methods to proactively identify accounts that are in breach of our terms and conditions. These accounts may have used 'bots,’ and other prohibited tools, or engaged in collusion,” partypoker said. The operator added that while it cannot disclose details behind each individual investigation, it pledged to continue posting the number of accounts closed and amount of fund redistributed every month.
In an April 2022 post to the official partypoker blog, Head of Game Integrity Juha Pasanen said the operator “[never closes] an account without a thorough investigation that proves a breach of our terms and conditions occurred.”
“Unfortunately, for legal reasons, we cannot currently release information to other players about the specific reasons behind any bans, but rest assured we are proactive in our approach to preventing and stopping any terms and conditions breaches,” Pasanen added.
The steady decline in the number of accounts closed and amounts seized is likely due to a myriad factors. Investigators from partypoker have likely honed their skills at finding and rooting out such fraudulent activity, and cheaters may well have moved on to other sites. At the same time, cheaters may have found new ways to avoid detection. Traffic at partypoker’s online poker rooms have have also declined in this period.
