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World Poker Association Releases Ethics Code

The WPA has released an Ethics Code for poker tournaments

Tuesday 31st July 2007

Following industry consultation, the World Poker Association (WPA)has finalised a code of conduct for poker tournaments. While this is not quite a rule book, adherence to the code is mandatory for WPA approval. Functioning like the ECOGRA assurance for online poker sites, the WPA code ensures that players can expect solid professional conduct from dealers, and to some extent other players.

While professional honest dealing and players who do not collude are Good Things, the move is, in general, also a political one. By showing that it is capable of ‘best practice’ regulation, poker is fluttering its eyelids at US congress, agreeing to comply with the WPA Code of Ethics and pledging to “support and uphold the highest standards of ethical conduct in all aspects of poker competition and tournament activities.”

The hope is that the Gods of Congress may look more favourably on online gambling when it comes to the next vote.

It is broken down into the following five sections:

• General Provisions

• Relationships Among Players

• Relationships Between Players and Dealers

• Player-Management Relationships

• External Relationships

Wendeen Eolis, Vice Chair of the WPA and Chair of the Ethics Committee said.

'The Ethics Code is the cornerstone on which the WPA has established itself as a single, unified voice for millions in the commitment to professionalism in the worldwide poker community.'

The WPA only has roughly 1,335 members, and one cannot help but wonder how much of the code is enforceable, and whether or not it will be taken seriously.




Source: OnlineCasinoNews