Bodog BLOCKS Data-Mining Websites on Network

Online gaming giant Bodog has made a bold move this week as it is now no longer allowing poker data-mining websites like PokerTableRatings or SharkScope to scrape player data for public usage.

Bodog spokesman Patrick Selin stated the following in a recent press release: “These poker operator information portals are another example of how online poker is assisting in its own demise. I have commented previously on how the operators are doing this to themselves with hand histories, HUDs and rake back, all of which we will be cutting out. The next tier in the process is the operator information sites.”

The statement went on to say that “Nobody who is playing poker for fun visits these sites, or, probably even knows they exist. They primarily exist to serve the needs of the professional players and therefore we will be implementing online protection against these sites to further aid the crucial leisure poker player.”

Data mining websites like the aforementioned ones have been a godsend to grinders and pros, who use such sites to gauge the competition level at a particular table and can use the information to exploit weaknesses in their games and pad their bankroll exponentially.  In existence for years now, these types of sites have relied heavily on the permission of poker rooms to allow their scraper programs to pull player data automatically.

Bodog refusing to no longer accommodate such sites is a big move for them, as they are one of the larger medium-network rooms in the world and are looking to fill up their lower to middle-stakes ring games again; which is something that has been on the decline since they started allowing data mining websites to scrape player data these past few years.

Bodog is also the second major network to announce they would not be allowing such portals to use player data, as Microgaming also recently pulled away from such sites just a little under a year ago.