GGPOKER

Security is a never-ending battle. As new threats emerge, companies must continually improve their defenses and develop new solutions. Today, we are introducing five new measures to protect the online poker community.

New Feature: Game Client Security

We are introducing a new Client Security section in Game Settings to give GGPoker users control over game client security, with four features designed to keep your sessions private and secure. Every feature is optional and runs only while GGPoker is open.

Screen Guard, Connection Monitor, Process Check, and DNS Check 

Screen Guard keeps your tables out of screenshots, recordings, screen shares, and remote-viewing apps. If screen-sharing or remote-access software is running on your computer, whether you installed it or not, Screen Guard is designed to stop it from seeing your tables and your hole cards. Turn on “Protect the whole Client” to extend this to the lobby, cashier, and account pages, so your GG Wallet balance, history, and personal details stay private.

 

The Security page also includes Connection Monitor, which alerts you to apps with suspicious connections, such as remote-control tools or proxies; Allowed Processes, which lets you mark apps you trust so they do not trigger alerts; and DNS Check, which checks your network for signs of DNS hijacking.

New Monitoring: Win-Rate Anomaly Detection

Behind the scenes, we have added a new method to our game integrity monitoring. Most integrity checks in online poker analyze hand histories for patterns such as collusion, ghosting, botting, and the use of real-time assistance tools. Our monitoring covers all of these. On top of them, we have now added a new method that reviews a different dataset: Abnormally High Win-Rate (‘WAD’)

For each hand, our system will review each decision and determine whether it was correct based on the cards the opponent actually held. WAD looks for players whose decisions are correct far more often than any honest playing style allows, against cards they should not be able to see. We have tested out this new method and were able to identify past cases. We believe this methodology will allow us to prevent edge cases that happened recently.

New Policy: Banning of all 3rd Party Poker Software and Automation Tools

Third-party tools running alongside the GGPoker client may access game data, interact with your tables, or automate actions on your computer. Each one handles your information in ways we cannot see or control, and each one is another point where your information can be exposed. 

Previously, we permitted certain third-party tools that did not affect gameplay. However, following the recent incident, we are tightening this policy to better protect our players and reduce the risk of a similar incident.

Prohibited tools include, but are not limited to:

• Jurojin
• PokerTracker 4
• Hand2Note
• Holdem Manager 3
• StarsCaption
• DriveHUD 2
• Intuitive Tables
• Lobbyze
• Equilab
• AutoHotkey
• Other third-party poker software and automation tools

Please fully close these applications before launching GGPoker.

End of Support for Legacy Operating Systems (Windows & macOS)

In our ongoing commitment to user safety and software integrity, support for outdated operating systems, including Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and macOS 11 (Big Sur) or earlier, will end in 2027. As these platforms are no longer serviced with manufacturer security patches, phasing them out is necessary to protect accounts against modern exploits and critical security risks. To avoid any service interruptions, please make sure your system is updated to at least Windows 10 or macOS 12 (Monterey) before the transition takes effect.

Supporting the Victims and the Community

We were able to trace the funds involved and identify the crypto wallet address associated with the recent incident. We have shared our findings with Coinbase, where we believe the funds were deposited, and asked it to restrict the associated account and preserve its records. We have reported the wallet addresses to industry networks that track illicit funds and to law enforcement.

We will continue to cooperate with the authorities and the community.

Keeping our tables safe is ongoing work. We will share updates here as this matter progresses and as new security features become available.

Disclaimer: 

While GGPoker’s security features are designed to protect your gaming sessions, they do not replace antivirus software or protect your entire computer. We encourage all players to take a few additional steps to keep their devices and accounts secure.

• Keep your system updated. Keep your operating system and antivirus software up to date. Avoid using unsupported operating systems, especially Windows 7, which no longer receives security updates and is highly vulnerable to security threats. We strongly recommend upgrading to a supported operating system.
• Review installed software. Check your computer for unfamiliar applications, especially remote-access or screen-sharing tools you did not intentionally install. Remove any suspicious software.
• Scan for threats. Regularly run a full system scan using reputable antivirus software.
• Protect your account. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your GGPoker account to add an extra layer of security against unauthorized access.
• Passkeys are much safer and easier to use than traditional passwords. Set up a passkey to secure your account.
• Enable the Fund password for added security against unauthorized transfers or withdrawal attempts.