27 Jun 2025 In a recent Reddit post, a poker player claimed to have found a massive network of bot accounts on WPT Global. User Ok_Photograph7613 wrote a lengthy post on r/poker about how they found a massive bot ring, reported more than 130 accounts that seemed fishy, lost a lot of money, and got a paltry $100 reward in return. “I Exposed a Massive Bot Ring” The Reddit poster discovered that many of the accounts were playing nonstop for days on end, with the same stats, betting patterns, and even profile images. Acting as a "one-man security team," this user submitted numerous reports and paperwork to WPT Global over the course of three months regarding his findings . Ultimately, the site announced the ban of some of these bots and the forfeiture of their funds. The site only offered a total reimbursement of $100, despite the user's losses exceeding thousands of dollars, with a “bounty” of roughly $3.85 per bot. It looked like this was an insult. The player had no idea how many bots had been banned, how much money the bots had won, or how much he had lost because of these accounts. The poster stated: “One pot I lost to one of these accounts was over $700. I can’t give an exact number due to having zero access to hand histories, but it’s at least in the thousands.” The Bigger Issue: A System Failing Its Players There is a bigger problem at the heart of the scandal. The Reddit post suggests that WPT Global's rules and technology may not be sufficient to prevent bot rings. The site collaborates with Chinese apps like WePoker and PokerKing, which are known for having lax Know Your Customer (KYC) rules, resulting in a shared player pool. It also doesn’t provide hand histories, which makes it difficult for regular players to track suspicious activity. Additionally, some bots were reportedly active for more than 24 hours after filing reports, taking advantage of players and generating an estimated $1,650, highlighting inconsistent enforcement. The user also stated that WPT Global's claims of advanced "Bot Operations" and automatic identification were not accurate, as the site failed to recognise patterns that a skilled player could easily identify. Poker Community Outrage and Support The Reddit poker community came together to support Ok_Photograph7613 by revealing their experiences with bots and their problems with WPT Global's unclear processes: Opening_Effective845: Comment byu/Ok_Photograph7613 from discussion inpoker Dankecheers: Comment byu/Ok_Photograph7613 from discussion inpoker Professional-Big8416: Comment byu/Ok_Photograph7613 from discussion inpoker Polamidone: Comment byu/Ok_Photograph7613 from discussion inpoker bobofat2468: Comment byu/Ok_Photograph7613 from discussion inpoker DuckDuckDont: Comment byu/Ok_Photograph7613 from discussion inpoker These comments reveal a significant level of distrust: many gamers don't believe WPT Global's claim that its games are "the safest games anywhere online" when automated bots are prevalent. WPT Global’s Response A representative from WPT Global joined the conversation in the comments: Comment byu/Ok_Photograph7613 from discussion inpoker The whistleblower later disagreed with this statement because there was no follow-up after the questions were asked in April and February. WPT Global has not provided the OP with an update on when they will receive additional funds or the full report of the investigation. Comment byu/Ok_Photograph7613 from discussion inpoker There have been other, similar events as well. Over the last few months, WPT Global has made several personnel changes, including the departure of CEO Alex Scott, among others. Due to such incidents, people are starting to question the site's ability or even its desire to keep its users safe. Conclusion The claims on r/poker suggest that there is a significant issue with the honesty of online poker. When companies like WPT Global depend on community members for information and pay them too little, the community members lose trust, which is what keeps competitive play going. As Ok_Photograph7613 case shows, it's unfair to lose a significant amount of money to bots and receive almost nothing in return. It is time poker sites ensured that their platforms are safe and secure, preventing harm to players.
