Commission Junction Drops Covers Experts: The Casualties of War

The sports handicapping “war” shows no letup even if both sides seem a bit apprehensive in terms of releasing critical information.

It began when Management sources within PreGame.com advised Gambling911.com that rival Covers had provided its handicappers with an ultimatum heading into this year’s March Madness:  “Leave Pregame or leave us”.   

Covers denied such a demand though four of their sports handicappers no longer split their time between Covers and Pregame.  Two have opted to provide their picks at Pregame, the other two at Covers. 

PreGame has not provided Gambling911.com with the email specifying the ultimatum and, without the smoking gun, all we have here is a “war of words” so to speak. 

One of the handicappers representing Covers.com who had previously provided picks at both websites attempted to explain the situation, taking on a more neutral stance. 

Ben Burns told G911:  “I’m not exclusive to Covers.  They haven’t asked this of handicappers.  They do ask that the handicappers avoid undercutting them by selling their plays for cheaper elsewhere.  Many don’t seem to think this is far.  However, it seems like common sense – and common courtesy – to me.”

Make no mistake about it, Covers and Pregame are the two premier properties in the sports handicapping space these days along with VegasInsider.com and Gambling911.com media partner, Don Best. 

Another casualty of war appeared to occur earlier this month when David Malinsky’s name got removed from the Covers.com list of esteemed sports handicappers for reasons still unknown.  His picks page can be found in the backend of the site for the time being (a la the link).

A few weeks back, a number of publishers notified Gambling911.com that Covers Experts, the handicapping arm of Covers, had apparently email blasted PreGame.com Web affiliates via Commission Junction enticing them with an offer they just couldn’t refuse. 

On Tuesday, CJ.com sent out an email of its own to those publishers partaking in the Covers Experts commission program (which we hear was rather lucrative, as is PreGame’s for that matter). 

Dear Valued Publisher,

Please be aware that Covers Experts, one of the advertisers you are joined to in the Commission Junction network, has been deactivated.

While Covers Experts is deactivated, you will not receive commissions for traffic you drive via the advertiser's banners, text links, and/or other link types. Consequently, please replace these links as soon as possible with links from active advertisers. To view the links you are using that are generating traffic for Covers Experts but from which you are earning no revenue, go to the Invalid Links Generating Traffic Report.

During the advertiser's deactivation, you will still remain affiliated with Covers Experts if and when the advertiser reactivates its affiliate marketing program with Commission Junction. Once reactivated, Covers Experts will appear in My Advertisers in the Account Manager. You will receive another email from Commission Junction alerting you to the advertiser's reactivation.

To view all of your affiliated advertisers who have been deactivated from the Commission Junction network, go to the Deactivated Advertisers Report.

If you have further questions regarding the status of Covers Experts, please contact your Commission Junction account representative or Client Support.

Best regards,

Commission Junction

The conspiracy theorists among us (that would be 90 percent of the Gambling911.com staff) believe the Malinsky sudden departure and Commission Junction exclusion all within the first 10 days of April seem to be more than just a coincidence.    

- Chris Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher