Wouldn't the easiest way to kill of the rogues be to stop the flow of money?

[Simmo!]

Why would they need to ditch a vast proportion of their current client base? Ah yes because of chasing the mighty Dollar where many software companies and Casinos have pulled out - ethics?

So you're saying that any casino who takes US players is ethically wrong? Why?

Let me ask you this.
If in your business you were to discover your supplier is also associating with known crooks and profiting from this association would you consider it ok to ignore this just because you are making a nice buck?

Ok two things here. Firstly by "known crooks" we are talking about people who haven't been charged with anything criminal. We may regard them as crooks - but that's an important distinction.

Secondly and with the above in mind: if I had gone into the business unaware that they were rogue, I had no alternative supplier available and I was responsible for employees then yes, I would continue. I am sure I would be looking for an opportunity to extracate myself from that situation though.

Affiliates have a choice. There is no excuse for not doing your research. Casinos to a lesser extent, but the market is largely closed to alternatives right now.

[Rusty]

So you're saying that any casino who takes US players is ethically wrong? Why?

Nah, I'm just saying that being dependent on a US client base because you ignored the shit that was going down does not engender sympathy in me.

Ok two things here. Firstly by "known crooks" we are talking about people who haven't been charged with anything criminal. We may regard them as crooks - but that's an important distinction.

Not really. Call them thieves, call then con men, call them fraudsters call them what you want it comes down to the same thing. The fact they have not been charged is because they operate outside any jurisdiction that operates under the normal rule of law

Secondly and with the above in mind: if I had gone into the business unaware that they were rogue, I had no alternative supplier available and I was responsible for employees then yes, I would continue. I am sure I would be looking for an opportunity to extracate myself from that situation though.

Affiliates have a choice. There is no excuse for not doing your research. Casinos to a lesser extent, but the market is largely closed to alternatives right now.

As I say I would have some empathy here if not sympathy but is this really the case of many "honest" RTG casinos?
If you told me year after year you were very concerned and were looking to do something about it but nothing ever happened I would probably assume you were ethically challenged too. No offence, I think you're a top geezer in reality.

Sure it would not be an easy situation to be in but when was the last time a Manager from one of these Casinos took their concerns to RTG?
Let's be honest, it is not like they are banging down RTG's door and demanding they clean up their act.

That certainly does not make them dishonest, just complicit which was my point.

I don't know how to separate a quote and remark after all this time.

[ksech]

As a player from the US, when I first started playing online in/around 1998 I first googled online casinos. It was great because I had my choice of MG casinos I could play at. After a few months of playing them I did another search and found (what I thought then) some great RTG casinos. They offered lots of different bonuses (which the MG casinos did not). As a new, naive player I was lured into depositing at these "rogue" casinos.

With the influx of new players every day, if they do a simple google search, these rogue casinos will still operate. So, you would have to some way go after the search engines too.

I agree, as a whole, the players have the "power" to make or break a casino. BUT, it will never happen as you can't control the actions of people who do not know or understand. And as a player, I never considered until a few years ago, the affiliates job as mediators between a player and a casino. For every good, conscientious affiliate there are probably 3 bad ones.

The casinos are in business to make money, so like any business, the good casinos need to find ways to lure players away from the bad ones. I don't feel, because they chose a software with so many rotten apples, that a casino should be ostracized for that. They need to figure out a solution which will enable them to continue servicing the players, but in the meantime thwart the bad eggs.

And, IMO, it's not just RTG. MG has its problems and so does Rival ( I wouldn't know about playtech or topgame or some of the others). As long as these "rogue" casinos continue to lure inexperienced players with "great" bonus deals, they will continue to thrive. Is there really any solution to all of this?

[felicie]

Playing bonus free could certainly stop some of the absolute crap they serve us at Rtgs and even more so at Rivals imo. Microgaming casinos don't play all the bonus games. I think they don't need to - they have a good client base from doing good business without all the bs 'frills'.
Newbies are going to learn the easy way or the hard way depending on what they are actually looking for out of gambling. A lot of affiliates are merely giving the customer what they want. I know players that started same time I did and they're still just searching for free chips with very little intention of depositing. Or maybe once in a blue moon throw a minimum deposit ala huge bonus crap included and then bitch like hell about it later. I just can't see blaming the affiliates for giving people what they want. And on top of that, it's those kind of players that help turn these once ethical casinos into bonus overkill ripoffs - it's a vicious circle but it is up to the player to decide where they want to go with it all. not the affiliates. The thought has never even entered my mind to go back where I clicked on the banner (like I could remember anyway LOL) They ain't my momma! I didn't pay them (affiliates) for any service guaranteeing me ethical safe play. Geez go back to playing Bingo at your local church if you want guarantees of safe play.
There are plenty of decent places to play even for Americans but if they need affiliate 'momma's' they shouldn't be playing anyway.

ps. I have based all this gibberish on my own personal experiences for the last 4 or 5 years so please try to refrain from trashing them even if you don't find it all at Snopes.

[bernynhel]

...As long as there are casino portals that are willing to promote them, there will always be the unsuspecting....

Of course if Online Gaming Forum operators were to add Blacklisted Affiliate lists in addition to just Rogue or Blacklisted Casinos this might help alert new players to caution through Google. There's a discussion in a thread over at Online Casino Review: Rogue Affiliates - What is a rogue affiliate and should they be publicly named and shamed? with some interesting thoughts on the topic.

But it's not really fair IMO to penalize the casinos that are doing things honestly and right (inert, CWC etc). I'd like to think they are also putting pressure on RTG...

I'd like to think there's a tooth fairy. They're guilty by association. We're there any "nice" Nazis? Who gives a f! My point: even if there were, who gives a F! They were Nazis, fer crissake!

You are both right aren't you?
On the one hand it is not fair that decent Casinos get tainted with the same brush as the rogues for using the same software but on the other hand every Casino has the choice of software they use...

I'll take the latter hand: If there is ANY WAY TO ORGANIZE A BOYCOTT AGAINST ALL RTG CASINOS TIL THE ROGUES ARE PUT OUT, that's what it will take. I won't play at an RTG casino outta principle but what I'm depriving them of wouldn't even make 'em sneeze if they stuffed their noses with it.

As far as fairness goes? F fair! It's a moot point, IMO. You have all these rogue RTG sites and they are being passively supported, at minimum, by every other RTG operator, good and bad, just by association.

...I agree, as a whole, the players have the "power" to make or break a casino. BUT, it will never happen as you can't control the actions of people who do not know or understand...

Aye! And there is the m'th'rf'k'n' rub! - Bill Shakespeare (sorta)