Cookies

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are pieces of data that websites you visit can set on your browser and device’s hard drive. The term may also be used to refer to other technologies that, when employed in a certain manner, may be able to track the online behavior of a user.

Cookies can be set by the website owner (in this case, us, Gamesppy.com). These are called “first-party cookies.” They can also be set by third parties other than Gamesppy.com, in which case they are called “third-party cookies.” Third-party cookies enable third-party features or functionality (e.g., advertising, interactive content, and analytics) to be provided on or through the website. The parties that set these third-party cookies can recognize your device both when you visit the website in question and also when you visit certain other websites.

Gamesppy.com and its third-party partners use cookies and a number of similar technologies to support and improve the gaming experience we offer. Some of these technologies are used to identify users when they are on Gamesppy.com games and others may be used to track unique users. This notice describes the technologies we use, including how they work, our purposes for using them, and your choices about their use.

Technologies That Gamesppy.com or Third Parties Use
Local Shared Objects (LSOs), which are also known as “Flash Cookies,” are used to:
  1. Identify devices so we can prevent and respond to fraud or other illegal activity.
  2. Store game preferences so we can present the game experience you want. These preferences let us know things like whether you want music on or off or whether you want us to hide certain Gamesppy.com poker tables when you visit the lobby.
  3. Store game assets (files) on your device so you can have faster load times.

Please note that setting the Flash Player to restrict or limit acceptance of Flash Cookies may reduce or impede the functionality of some Flash applications, including, potentially, Flash applications used in connection with Gamesppy.com services or online content.

Browser Cookies are used by Gamesppy.com primarily to:
  1. Identify specific users and track whether they are logged in (Authentication).
  2. Customize site content and remember site preferences.

There are a number of ways to manage browser cookies on your device. Most major browsers offer choices for whether and how you receive future cookies and for deleting cookies already on your device. Which browser cookies are on your device will depend on which browser you use to access Gamesppy.com services. Here are links to information from some of the larger browsers about how you can control your browser cookies: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer.

Beacons, Pixel Tags, and Clear Gifs are all terms for similar technology that often works in the same way. These small strings of (software) code track events such as when a user visits a page or opens an email. They are used by Gamesppy.com to measure the effectiveness of our email campaigns, deliver more relevant content, and manage advertising for Gamesppy.com’s games. In many instances, beacons, pixel tags, and clear gifs work in conjunction with cookies to function properly, so declining cookies will impair their functioning.

Ads for Other Sites and Services (Gamesppy.com as a Publisher)

We use advertising to enable us to offer some of our games, game features, and other services for free. Our Advertising Partners may place cookies on your devices to serve interest-based ads through our services.

Controlling Cookies

As we’ve explained above, you can control cookies and other similar technologies by utilizing the tools described above. If you choose to reject cookies, while you can still use Gamesppy.com services, your access to some functionality and areas of our services may be restricted.