Online Gambling Casino Affiliates Will Keep Getting Screwed

Gambling911.com reported back in June regarding so-called online gambling regulatory body eCogra endorsing Bella Vegas, a Grand Prive Group online casino that systematically shut off its affiliate partners last November.  The response was that....well...nobody really seemed to care.  Fine by us!  Gambling911.com doesn't take online gambling affiliate monies.

The problem is that this "lack of response" from the online gambling casino affiliate community has resulted in other online casino groups considering similar measures to that of Grand Prive.  And we're sure eCogra will continue to endorse those groups.

J. Todd of Perspectives Weekly continues to blast Grand Prive.  But he's only one man.

Next month the new and improved CAP Euro is hosting an event in Budapest expected to receive a substantial turnout.  We can only hope that online casino affiliates discuss this situation and realize the ramifications should they allow eCogra to continue promoting this Microgaming online casino group. 

Todd has already expressed what is about to happen.  A handful of online casino affiliates are looking to change their terms just as Grand Prive has.  They realize that the affiliate community is not making enough of an uproar to hurt their business. 

Andrew Beveridge of eCogra did speak to CasinoMeister.com about his position on Grand Prive, which, anyone with half a brain would find unacceptable.

"Our eGAP standards applicable to casinos don't provide any assurances in relation to the fair treatment of affiliates," Beveridge explained. "This seal is clearly intended to convey only to players where they will be protected.

"Equally, if it were alleged that Grand Prive hadn't paid their advertising agency's fees, or any other third party creditor not covered by the eGAP standards, their casinos would not lose their Safe & Fair seals."

Unfortunately this situation goes well beyond a simple advertising dispute.  Grand Prive is not dropping certain affiliate partners for "lack of performance" or "violation of terms" - something we might be able to live with.  Grand Prive is dropping ALL their supposed "life long affiliates" without explanation.  That's called "unethical" and it is very easy to see in this scenario how GP management could do the same to players.

The question asked by Casino Meister:

Considering how unethical it is for the GP affiliate program to treat its business partners in this matter, what assurances does the player have that the casino side of the business will treat its players any better?

The response from Beveridge, an obvious knock at CAP:

"I have had various discussions with Grand Prive's management to understand what transpired with their affiliate program, and I don't believe all the facts are properly understood by the affiliate community.

"I am of the opinion that Grand Prive would have been judged less harshly if a certain ‘watchdog' in the affiliate community had taken advantage of Grand Prive's offer to explain their side of the story.

"We have had a 6 year relationship with Grand Prive, because this was one of the very first operators to apply for our seal in 2003. As with most of the eCOGRA operators that have been awarded the seal for so many years, there have been incidents where we've had to work with this operator to address player disputes. However, based on their ongoing maintenance of the eCOGRA standards, we have no reason to believe that the players are at risk."

Of course he failed to respond to the question, which was WHY GRAND PRIVE DECIDED TO SCREW ITS ONLINE CASINO AFFILIATES.  Instead we get to hear about his terrific relationship with these folks. 

"We haven't investigated this incident fully because it is not part of our mandate," Beveridge added.

Well....okay then.  There you have it.