Player Responsibility vs Affiliate Marketing Responsibility

[WagerWitch]

After reading this thread:

http://www.casinomeister.com/forums/...gp-thread.html

I kind of got highly upset at the OP's admission of writing the FBI about an affiliate who marketed/advertised a casino that caused the OP to lose money.

(and of course, we all know that this particular casino group is a bunch of scum bags)

However - this lead me to a very important thought:

Is it the RESPONSIBILITY of the PLAYER or the RESPONSIBILITY of the AFFILIATE?

An affiliate is nothing more than a sales person marketing something to make a buck.

They are a billboard on the internet highway - with sign space for sale.

ADVERTISING.

Now - some affiliates STRIVE to only promote or show casinos that maintain good standings.

Some affiliates - on the other hand - don't care WHO they market - they just want to make the fast dollar.

Now - WHO is responsible for clicking on the ads and choosing the gamble?

The Affiliate or the Player?

Who is responsible for finding out if a casino is good or not?

Who is responsible for spending the money?

Seriously - I want to know if I am on the wrong page in this world - because some of the things I have read recently have made me think that people want to shrug off their own responsibilities. They want to blame others for their choices.

Now - me - personally - I try hard to stay away from scum sucking casinos and people who promote them. But that's my OWN personal choice.

I'm not going to associate myself on purpose with sincere force to those that are promoting bad things.

BUT - That is my choice.

I wouldn't give anyone anything I wouldn't give myself - and that is a personal philosophy and life style choice.

But - I still think over all - the end responsibility lies with the player to check EVERYTHING out.

What do YOU think?

[bb28]

IMO, you can't shrug your shoulders and say, oh it's all the players responsibility to figure out if it's a good or bad place. Players, especially new players are very gullible. Heck I was, and let's see a show of hands for all the other peeps here, who were also. For us seasoned players who have been around the block and who are members here or for those that have just stumbled in, well they get their education if they hang around long at all, but you take a newbie who is new to online gambling and chances are they are going to start like most of us did.
They are going to be swayed by all those flashing banners that advertise the freebies, and then after they play the freebies, then it's those 400%, 500%, 1000% bonus offers that are going to convince you to deposit. Do you think at this point in time, that most players have educated themselves or do you think they have been seduced by those flashing banners? At that point, newbies don't have a frickin" clue, and come on, who wouldn't think that hey I can deposit $25.00 but I get to play with $400.00.......they think SWEET! This is fun! Then what happens....well we've all heard that sad story repeated over and over again right? They end up here or somewhere else complaining because they can't get their winnings right? Then they get their education in the school of hard knocks.

So IMO, the player has a responsibility, but given the nature of it and the seductiveness of it.......they most likely are screwed unless they are very smart in the beginning. So......I think the affiliate has the greater share of the responsibility because it's a business, and shouldn't anyone who is starting any kind of business educate themselves and try to be responsible and ethical when undertaking such an endeavor? It's a whole different ballgame, a business VS a player just looking for a little fun. One thing really can't be compared to the other in so many ways.....because of the nature of one being serious vs the other being mostly looking for fun or diversion.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[GGW Laurie]

Short and to the point........The Players Responsibility!!!!!!!!

[gloria460]

Over the past few months I've visited quite a few affliate sites. Some I just put in casino affliates and hit search and others I had already heard about. From my viewpoint it is a shared responsibility and I would say 65% of it is on the affliate because most of the time the new player would probably not know to look for a certain casino unless promoted by an affliate who has nothing but good things to say about said casino.

I've joined many forums and I've even read where affliates said they wouldn't play at a casino that had over 20xwr but they promote these outfits and give glowing reviews. As soon as a new casino pops up you see a banner and a description almost identical to what's on the casinos site right on the affliates site without them testing that site for awhile to see if it has any problems.

At the end of the day the affliate is there to make money and he/she can only make money by you/player losing.

[WagerWitch]

Just my 2 cents worth.

Your two cents is well worth it - thank you for the commentary!

[WagerWitch]

Short and to the point........The Players Responsibility!!!!!!!!

Thank you Laurie - I can't be short and to the point ever. LMAO! Even my poor fingers cringe when I start typing. LOL!

[WagerWitch]

Over the past few months I've visited quite a few affliate sites. Some I just put in casino affliates and hit search and others I had already heard about. From my viewpoint it is a shared responsibility and I would say 65% of it is on the affliate because most of the time the new player would probably not know to look for a certain casino unless promoted by an affliate who has nothing but good things to say about said casino.

I've joined many forums and I've even read where affliates said they wouldn't play at a casino that had over 20xwr but they promote these outfits and give glowing reviews. As soon as a new casino pops up you see a banner and a description almost identical to what's on the casinos site right on the affliates site without them testing that site for awhile to see if it has any problems.

At the end of the day the affliate is there to make money and he/she can only make money by you/player losing.

OK - I see your point - that the player wouldn't have joined up if it weren't for the affiliate site.

HOWEVER - the affiliate site is merely advertising space.

It's like a billboard on the highway - it's nothing more than that.

SO - if I am driving down the road - and I see a sign for oh - say - Oil of Olay - which says it will get rid of my wrinkles... Right? And there is a beautiful Model on that sign...

I go to the store - buy the Oil of Olay - and well - let's just say my wrinkles are still there - and I'm out the 45.00 it cost me to buy the product.

Well then... Hmmmm...

Do I go to the BILLBOARD and say - YOU - the owner of the billboard owe me because I'm out of money from something that didn't work the way I thought it would - and I still have wrinkles... ???????

Or do I go and buy the product again?

Or do I go to the company?


I mean - I see your point to some degree - but I believe the FINAL onus lies upon the gambler who chooses to sign up.

And yeah - just for reference - I think bad casinos are bad casinos.

I have affiliated one or two bad casinos when I first started this business... But I wouldn't send my mom to some of the casinos - so I don't promote them..

But this whole thing - this whole industry is a learning curve.

And let us not mistake the bottom line.

We're talking about gambling here...

And gambling - to be perfectly honest - has ALWAYS had a "shady" side...

Unfortunate - but true... As long as people are ashamed of gambling - or people treat it as though it is something that is "evil" - then it will always have that shady side.

There ARE crooks out there.

But MOST affiliates - are just Billboards.

I think we DO owe it to ourselves to represent the better - non evil casinos.... (the known ones, at least...)

But not everyone believes that the casinos can be evil.

And SOME PEOPLE... really need the money.

This might be their bread and butter. Yanno?

If it was down to me and my kid starving - I'd represent a lot of things that people would not agree with. YANNO?


Anyhow - I totally see your point - but I still think that the player should be totally responsible - And ONLY the player.

I think that affiliates need to be honorable - but that is a choice - not a demand.

[De Beuker]

Short and to the point........The Players Responsibility!!!!!!!!

I'm sorry but I cannot agree.
Affiliates make money through the players, and that gives them a part of responsibility too, no matter if they like it or not.
Some affilliate sites blatantly promote rogues, writing in reviews how great they are and how wonderful their customer support is while these people KNOW these places are first class shitholes.
Newbies believe they found a good casino and get screwed.

Someone compared an affilliate with a billboard, stating you cannot blame the billboard.
True, but the billboard itself does not earn any money.
The person who put it there does, and is responsible for whats on it. Simple as that.

I think both affilliates and players are responsible for their own actions.
Affilliates should CLEARLY WARN players about known rogue sites, or even better, not promote them AT ALL.
Thats THEIR responsibility.
the player should do research and then decide where to play.
If a player, despite the warnings, still decides to play at a known rogue, then its THEIR responsibility.

And thats my 2 cents.

[bryand]

I'm sorry but I cannot agree.
Affiliates make money through the players, and that gives them a part of responsibility too, no matter if they like it or not.

I have to agree this is the point of the matter. It is not right to make money advertising services that bring harm to potential patrons.

[WagerWitch]

And thats my 2 cents.

And your two cents are absolutely worthwhile ALSO.

I agree - the affiliate "SHOULD PROBABLY" be more honorable - totally agree...

But that is a "PERSONAL" choice - a moral standard that "I" live to.

I cannot demand that someone else live to that standard.

It's like saying "PORNOGRAPHY IS EVIL - Don't show Porno"...

Well - truth to be told - some people like porno - and some people think porn is evil.

Who am I to say they are right or wrong?

Isn't it up to the person who is watching it (or not) to determine whether it is right or wrong for them?

I think the player must take FULL responsibility for playing.

HOWEVER - with that caveat - I'd like to see webmasters and bulletin boards be MORE honest... or at least try to be more ethical to the Moral Majority.

But the onus is on the player to research first and foremost....

In my very humble opinion.

Because the money belongs to the player... the time - the gambling initiative - the action - they all belong to the player....

And every human being must realize that there are shysters EVERYWHERE who want to take money away from them.

In a way - it's like saying Yahoo is responsible for those Nigerian Scam "my rich uncle died - give me your bank account number and I'll transfer hundreds of thousands to your bank account" letters that are spammed out...