It Does Not Appear That 888Poker is Behind DoS Attacks

PartyPoker, Americas Cardroom, even the world's largest online poker room, PokerStars, have not been immune to Denial of Service (DoS) attacks in recent weeks.  So it shouldn't come as any surprise that another bigwig in the world of Web poker, 888Poker, has also fallen victim.

Oddly enough, because 888Poker was among the few not hit, they quickly became suspects, at least within the rumor mill.

The attack on their site will likely result in subdued speculation.

888Poker's problems went right through the weekend.

The company released this statement:

    “As many of you may already know, we have experienced intermittent disruptions of our service to you due to DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks. This has affected our ability to provide you with a comprehensive poker experience.

    “On behalf of the team, I apologise for the inconvenience caused and want you to know that the entire 888poker Team continues to work diligently to mitigate these attacks. Addressing technical issues, outstanding member concerns and restoring normality to our poker room is our top priority.

    “As you can imagine, our contact volumes are much higher than usual; therefore there may be delays in our responses. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to work to get our service to you.”

Players have had trouble connecting to their accounts and being locked out of tournaments.  There were instances of players holding large stacks being knocked offline only to have individuals from unaffected countries capitalize on the situation.

These DoS attacks have not been isolated only to poker networks.  Sports betting firm BetOnline was crippled during the most recent March Madness Men's College Basketball Tournament, among the largest wagering events in North America.

- Nagesh Rath, Gambling911.com