What are the most common reasons for account locks on casino-related websites?

What are the main causes of locking accounts for casino related websites? For example, I have a website with game wikis and discussion forum. I am starting to notice that people are getting their accounts locked with no apparent reason (i.e. spamming, suspicious activity). How do large casinos or online games handle locking of accounts?

4 Answers

SystemicDepth
SystemicDepthAnswered on 12/22
Best Answer

Casino account locks generally stem from three causes: fraud, policy infractions (such as sharing bonuses), and botting. Based on your account, my guess is that your wiki/forum are blocking accounts for bot-like behavior and forum spam. I’ve seen the same thing in some forums – when users appear to be behaving like bots, even though they are human. A strong appeals process will help prevent mistakes. Consider adding a Frequently Asked Questions page about how and why you lock accounts. Many large-scale gaming companies have a tiered approval process before banning an account permanently; this protects against mistakes. You should put this level of protection in place, given that you rely heavily on user-generated content. Finally, ensure that your automatic systems aren’t over-zealous.

MatchupTheory
MatchupTheoryAnswered on 12/22

Casinos generally lock accounts based on activity that is detected as spam, bot traffic, or other forms of suspicious behavior. Because your wiki offers games, I’m guessing this might be the case with some of your users. Larger casino sites have tiered processes, such as automatic detection followed by a manual check. Consider looking into account-lock policies and perhaps allow players to dispute their lock status. Make sure your site has a friendly feel, but also don’t allow players to be left in limbo.

BalanceWatcher
BalanceWatcherAnswered on 12/23

people lock their accounts because they're sending spam, bots, breaking the rules, or have suspicious IP addresses. This usually occurs automatically by a detection system. Large game sites use a combination of AI and human moderators to minimize false positives (which sometimes fail). Perhaps your site should include a “report error” button? Or you could look at why your automated moderation tool is locking so many accounts. I also think it would be helpful to display a message saying why the account was locked. That’s just my two cents!

CoreMechanics
CoreMechanicsAnswered on 12/24

Lockouts usually occur when an account is used for spamming, fraudulent purposes, or otherwise violating terms of service. My company does a lot of work on gaming/casino sites, where finding the right balance between user convenience and security is crucial. Almost all of them have some type of automated "lockout" rules based on behaviors such as bulk registrations, sending large numbers of private messages, or posting particular keywords. I've seen a lot of false positives (especially in chat or forum postings). I'd suggest checking to see why you're getting so many lockouts. Large-scale social networks typically have multiple levels of lockout -- e.g., a warning message followed by account suspension. Some also allow a user to appeal the decision. If you're running a wiki/forums site, you could consider implementing an appeals procedure, as well as a way for members of the online community to report rule violations.

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