Privacy Policy

Introduction

Welcome to Poker Mates. We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our application and services.

Poker Mates is a companion app for organizing friendly poker games with friends. We do not support real-money gambling, wagering, betting, or payments of any kind.

Information We Collect

Poker Mates collects only the information necessary to support basic app functionality:

• Email address (required)
• First and last name (required)
• Address (optional; used to share where poker will be hosted)
• Phone number (optional; used to enable sharing payment details for external payments via PayPal or Venmo)
• Payment handle/username (optional; used to enable sharing payment details for external payments via PayPal or Venmo)

Important: All payments and settlements between users are handled entirely outside the Poker Mates platform. We do not process, transmit, or facilitate payments of any kind. Any payment information provided is only for sharing with other users to enable external payments (e.g., via Venmo or PayPal). Data is not shared with anybody outside your group, and never will be.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve our services
• Create and manage your account
• Facilitate game organization and group management
• Calculate settlement information for record-keeping
• Send you important service updates and notifications
• Respond to your questions and provide customer support
• Analyze usage patterns to improve the app
• Detect and prevent fraud or abuse
• Comply with legal obligations

Information Sharing and Disclosure

With Other Users

When you join a group or participate in a game, certain information is shared with other group members:

• Your name and profile picture
• Game statistics and performance data
• Settlement information for games you participate in
• Payment handles (if you've added them to your profile)

With Service Providers

We may share information with third-party service providers who help us operate the app, such as:

• Cloud hosting providers (e.g., Firebase, Google Cloud)
• Analytics services
• Email service providers

For Legal Reasons

We may disclose information if required by law or if we believe such action is necessary to:

• Comply with legal obligations or court orders
• Protect our rights and safety
• Investigate potential fraud or violations of our Terms of Service

We Do NOT:

• Sell your personal information to third parties
• Share your data with advertisers
• Process real-money transactions or gambling activities

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information:

• Encryption of data in transit using SSL/TLS
• Encryption of data at rest
• Regular security assessments
• Access controls and authentication
• Secure password storage using industry-standard hashing

However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Your Privacy Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Update or correct your personal information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated data
• Data Portability: Export your game data (available to Pro users)
• Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from marketing communications

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@poker-mates.com or visit our Data Deletion page for step-by-step instructions on how to delete your account and data.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. If you delete your account:

• Your personal information will be deleted within 30 days
• Some information may be retained for legal or business purposes (e.g., transaction records)
• Anonymized statistics may be retained indefinitely

Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to:

• Maintain your login session
• Remember your preferences
• Analyze app usage and performance

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may limit your ability to use certain features.

Children's Privacy

Poker Mates is not intended for users under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child under 18, we will delete it promptly.

Important Disclaimer

Poker Mates does not support real-money gambling, wagering, betting, or payments of any kind. No money, chips, or credits can be bought, transferred, or redeemed within the app. Any references to buy-ins, winnings, or settlements are informational only and are tracked for personal record-keeping. All settlements, if any, occur outside the app between users. Poker Mates is intended solely for social game organization, statistics tracking, and game management.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by:

• Posting the new Privacy Policy on this page
• Updating the "Last updated" date
• Sending an email notification (for significant changes)

Your continued use of Poker Mates after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

For help with your account, visit our Support page. To delete your account and data, see our Data Deletion page.