AP, rigged, etc. #8981.4 - the plot thickens

[g-p]

can we get the updated cliffnotes ????

[Josem]

guys, seriously, please don't discuss nasty stuff here.

[Cruzincat]

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guys, seriously, please don't discuss nasty stuff here.

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Just trying to get the bad guys to realize their life is not going to be the same as they thought it was going to be. They will always be looking over their shoulders and it won't be the authorities thay have to worry about the most! We know they are watching this!

[Gildwulf]

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guys, seriously, please don't discuss nasty stuff here.

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[Bdidd]

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If these guys are in hiding with all that cash, they cannot risk putting it in a bank, can they? So, they are sitting somewhere, supposedly in a country like Panama, or Columbia, with a case of cash, and we are putting their pictures on the web. I can see their concern! I wonder, how much does a small army (for security) cost these days in these countries?

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Would it bother anybody here to learn that a bunch of ex special forces guys banded together, hunted them down and stole thier cash, and in the process made them disappear?
Just wondering as I have no such connections.

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Way to keep it real.

[prodonkey]

no strategery in BBV

[ammbo]

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A little background on AP's outsourcing of security and technology services:

2004: Interactive Gaming Security Network provided a third party audit and "managed security solutions" to Absolute.
http://gambling.co.uk/news/gambling-...xperience.html
(see bottom of press release)

retired IGSN website
http://web.archive.org/web/200608051...tp://igsn.com/

2006: Arizona Bay (IGSN's parent company) is retained to provide "a rapid development and deployment of technology and human infrastructure to support Absolute Poker’s rapid growth objectives."
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/5/prweb384543.htm

http://www.arizonabay.com/about/

Arizona Bay is run by the former CEO and President of Neteller, Gordon Herman and one of Neteller's founders Jeff Natland.

Last year Natland covered his Ferrari F430 with Absolute branding for a promotional cross country car rally. This idea came up while "getting drunk" with Absolute senior management.
http://www.bluffmagazine.com/magazin...6/june/066.asp


As of last year, Arizona Bay's, Senior Consultant, Curtis Olson was acting as Absolute's Vice President of Technology.

Cliff Notes:
Company run by Ex-Neteller execs audited and then managed AP's security in 04.
In 06 engaged to provide additional technology services including installing their consultant as VP of Technology for AP.
Management of both organizations were drinking buddies.
Since last summer, Arizona Bay has carefully tried to minimize their association with Absolute.

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I understand that misterwolf has two posts and this hurts his credibility, but it was surprising that these links did not generate more discussion. This Curtis Olson is listed as a consultant who is also the VP of Technology at Absolute Poker. Does this not sound like the type of person who could cheat but would not know how to do so undetected? Absolute also said it was a consultant with high level access who perpetrated this crime. Mr. Olson and AP are also listed as being located at a PO Box in Miami by ZoomInfo:
http://www.zoominfo.com/Search/Perso...onID=989550128

Should this not bear further digging? It is possible that this person is the culprit, complicit, a fall guy, or a bystander.

[ammbo]

David Clanier is also listed as SVP of Absolute:
http://www.zoominfo.com/search/Perso...nID=1174161106

This may be only the .NET operations now that I think of it.

[pzhon]

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NICE, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 7, 2005--iovation, the first online fraud detection solution that tracks the reputation of devices, announced it is providing fraud management solutions to leading online gaming sites worldwide -- effectively minimizing their risk of fraud and increasing the value of their operations. iovation inc. has signed Absolute Poker, Bodog, PointBet and Nine.com -- four progressive online gambling Web sites -- each with millions of transactions a year.

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That's not very relevant to the current situation.

Many sites have separate security departments for handling fraudulent credit card deposits and game integrity. Everyone expects that Absolute Poker has a functioning system for detecting fraudulent deposits which directly affect their bottom line, while not affecting many honest players. The cheating scandal is about the integrity of the games, which shouldn't directly affect Absolute Poker, but which affects the players.

Absolute Poker has demonstrated that it is unable to detect highly abberant patterns of play even when it is blatant and the subject of multiple complaints. By contrast, PokerStars and other sites have quietly detected collusion and compensated victims countless times.

What might hurt Absolute's bottom line is if gaming portals and competitors hype the difference in game integrity, and emphasize alternatives to playing at a site which doesn't care about player safety. Even if Absolute gets rid of the criminals it has been employing, it will still be years behind the other sites.

As the poker moderator of the Online Blackjack Guide, I changed my review of Absolute Poker to include a huge warning that they are not recommended, with a link to a thread describing the scandal. This might be against the interests of OBG itself in the short run, but it's important for its credibility and for its readers.

[Cruzincat]

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no strategery in BBV

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No cheating, either, but it's here! Not that I am complaining.