MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT: APCW HAS MERGED

[jas2587]

Dear members and guests,

It is with a great deal of optimism that I would like to officially announce the acquisition of the APCW by the Casino City Group. Many of you may know Casino City as a leader of information and news for the online gaming industry, but they also manage the Gambling Portal Webmaster Association (GPWA.org) and Rolling Good Times News (RGT Online). They are one of the largest and most successful online gaming organizations in the industry.

This announcement explains my extensive travel recently, as Casino City has had me busy so far! LOL! There will also be big changes coming to the APCW, as the Casino City Group will pour many of it's resources into creating a site that will better serve it's members. This includes a total site redesign, better video equipment and production, faster access to breaking industry news and information, increased funding to re-establish an aggressive quality control and auditing program for casinos and affiliate programs, and a staff to handle the operational aspects that previously overwhelmed the two of us who ran the entire site on our own.

My title will change from APCW Administrator to APCW Executive Director and I will still produce videos and have a dynamic impact on what APCW does, with the cooperation of Casino City's CEO Michael Corfman. Anthony remains on staff and will head the new Auditing Program, and additional Casino City staff will help fill in the positions missing for so long.

We thank you for your support and look forward to delivering a more committed, aggressive, and efficient APCW to better serve our members and the industry. Please be patient over the next few weeks as websites are moved around and re-built, and email and phone services are re-routed.

Thanks!

Here's to our future!



copy an pasted from the APCW site

Cindy

[winbig]

I think they deserve each other. Neither one has a problem with advertising rogue casinos as long as there's money in it for them.

[Casinomeister]

Um, let's be fair here.

I don't see GPWA.org or Casino City advertising for any shoddy rogue casinos. Michael Corfman is a stand up guy who I've known for years and has done a hell of a lot for this industry. We are pretty much on the same sheet of music when it comes to doing the right thing.

I can see where the flack is directed at J.Todd because - like it or not - he can be rather outspoken. Well, that's just the way it is.

As for the Gambling Wages issue, I think I mentioned some time ago that each online entity (Casinomeister, CAP, GPWA, APCW...) should work independently when it comes to providing ANY casino outfit a chance to redeem itself. J.Todd gave Gambling Wages a chance, and they did it. I gave the Virtual Casino Group a few chances, and they didn't. J. Todd is not privy to the private correspondence I've had with numerous employees and ex-employees of the Virtual Casino group, nor is he privy to the details of the loads of complaints that have come through me. And neither does Gambling Wages - in fact, I don't think I've ever been in contact with Gambling Wages - nor have I pursued them either.

The bottom line is, there are complaints that are unresolved - and the casino is aware of most of these. It would be unfair to both the APCW and Gambling Wages to chastise them for not taking action on these complaints since these are player/casino matters. GW is merely the marketing arm of some of these casino. If Gambling Wages wants to tackle some of these, they know where to find me

And I'm sure they are aware of the player who is owed about $1.5 million. There is just nothing they can do about it because their pockets aren't that deep.

I see this merger as a good thing.

[Pinababy69]

I can see where the flack is directed at J.Todd because - like it or not - he can be rather outspoken. Well, that's just the way it is.

Don't know a thing about the GPWA, and to be brutally honest, I don't really care that much. If you say they advertise okay casinos, I'll take your word for it.

As to the J.Todd comment....the way it is? The way it is Bryan, is that he doesn't mind posting his crappy YouTube videos here USING this forum to promote Gambling Wages and their ripoff joints, and sucking in more unsuspecting players. But.....when I try to post a linkback to this SAME forum, and tell people to use the search function here, to find out the truth on Coolcat, Club Player, POC and Cirrus....I'm told I'm an idiot, and that my posts are unintelligent. Is that the kind of outspoken you mean? I have another word for it...but I'm afraid I'd be on "vacation" if I used it. Seems to me that outspokeness and free speech only work ONE way with that guy....and that is his way or no way. THAT'S the way it is, IMO.

EDIT: Thought I'd go glance really quick at GPWA.org and Casino City, never been to either. Main page of GPWA, Chipleader is a Silver member. Chipleader of the Absolute Poker/Ultimate Bet notoriety. And main page of Casino City? Third casino down the right hand side.....Joyland Casino, third MOST popular casino in fact. Oh, and #61 on their "list" of online casinos? You betcha.....CIRRUS!!

Now I'll thank Winbig for his post. I didn't want to do that if he was posting erroneous info re: being about the money. But Chipleader and Joyland is enough for me to say yeah.....it's about the money.

[suzecat]

OK, Bryan..............if fair is the operative word, let's be fair.

Is it fair for any affiliate to promote any casino in the Virtual group? It is not a secret, nor should it be, that the Virtual casino group has a very tacky way of doing business. And while we are being fair.............what about the players who deposit and play there because of the affiliates who now believe the group has turned over (another) new leaf and can be trusted to pay winners? And what about the casinos in the Virtual group who are not in Gambling Wages? Is it fair to expect players will magically know that GW casinos are ok but non-GW casinos (even though in the Virtual group) are still rogue?

The idea that the player must research a casino before depositing and playing is understood. However, when affiliates promote them (and give an "all clear") it seems unfair to expect a player to do further research to uncover any "bottom-line" motivated scheme............either between GW and APCW (or whatever they are calling themselves today) or anyone else similarily motivated.

This site seems to do ok without promoting rogues. Can't foresee any circumstance that would force you to change that Bryan.

[winbig]

J.Todd gave Gambling Wages a chance, and they did it.

Really? AFAIK, none of these players have been paid yet. A couple have even posted to this effect.

[Pinababy69]

The bottom line is, there are complaints that are unresolved - and the casino is aware of most of these. It would be unfair to both the APCW and Gambling Wages to chastise them for not taking action on these complaints since these are player/casino matters. GW is merely the marketing arm of some of these casinos.

Sorry, I'm really not trying to be dense...nor confrontational on purpose. But what is the difference if they are the marketing arm, or the casinos themselves? Does the money from player's pockets not all go into the same coffers? So it's okay for webmasters to advertise these shitholes, cause the affiliate program is okay, and beneficial to affiliates? But it's NOT okay for players to play there?

Honestly Bryan, what is the distinction? Gambling Wages is the mouth (one of them) that feeds the monster known as Virtual Group Casinos. To say they are MERELY the marketing arm? You've lost me now.

Obviously I understand the difference between an affiliate program and a casino...but the casino would have a whole lot harder time surviving without the affy program and all the unscrupulous affiliates feeding them fresh (unsuspecting) meat on a daily basis.

I knew there was a reason I have tried to stay out of these APCW/GW/JTodd threads.

[Casinomeister]

What I mean by marketing arm is that the aff program is usually separate from the casino. In other words, the aff program is not privy to what is happening at the casino level.

In this situation, I have no idea how these people are organized at the moment. Whether they are in the same office (as they once were), or somewhere down the hall. IMO it's the casino managers and their supervisors that call the shots. Aff managers usually just try to clean up the mess laid behind so they can go on their way to be successful at what they do.

It was mentioned that some players that went through the APCW and GW weren't paid? (besides mysticjoz) - direct them to the PAB section (or this thread) and Max and I will review their cases.

[GrandMaster]

What I mean by marketing arm is that the aff program is usually separate from the casino. In other words, the aff program is not privy to what is happening at the casino level.

Shouldn't they try to find out? Like if the first dozen hits for the name of the casino on google are complaints about not paying, then shouldn't the marketing people suspect that something is wrong with the casino? Or is it like advertising cigarettes, it is OK as long as you have some doubt that they increase the chance of cancer, heart disease, etc?

[dominique]

In this situation, I have no idea how these people are organized at the moment. Whether they are in the same office (as they once were), or somewhere down the hall.

I don't know too much about these guys since I wouldn't deal with them, but I do recall an ex-affiliate manager of theirs saying at a conference that she managed to get the owners to seperate the two entities completely and they were in totally different locations (same city). This was however some time ago, over a year. Dunno what may be the situation today...

Yes, affiliate programs feed the casino, of course. But whether they have any influence on the casino's dealing or not varies a lot. Some smaller operations work tightly together, others are completely seperate businesses that do not interact at all. In some cases different branches of the marketing arm do not even interact, such as affiliate programs and media buyers (ad buyers).

So, trying to go through an affiliate program to solve player issues is hit and miss, depending on the structure.

I think that's what Bryan was trying to say, correct me if I am wrong.

Trying to fix player issues through an aff program is often barking up the wrong tree, although the trees grow in the same forest.

As far as the gambling wages issue goes, I have no idea how much reach gambling wages may or may not have had concering casino issues. I strongly doubt they are able to see the casino records, they would have to go by what the casino tells them.

Just my thoughts based on what I see in the industry in general.