Fight Online Casino Spam
Guess what? There are still some dweebs out there in cyberland that believe that spam is an effective marketing tool. It's laughable but true. And what is even more astonishing is that there still are online casinos that condone this activity. Why? Because in most cases they define spam differently than most of us do
Casinomeister subscribes to SpamHaus.org's definition of spam:
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Technical Definition of Spam
An electronic message is "spam" IF:
(1) the recipient's personal identity and context are irrelevant because the message is equally applicable to many other potential recipients;
AND
(2) the recipient has not verifiably granted deliberate, explicit, and still-revocable permission for it to be sent.
Spam is an issue about consent, not content. Whether the UBE (Unsolicited Bulk Email) message is an advert, a scam, porn, a begging letter or an offer of a free lunch, the content is irrelevant - if the message was sent unsolicited and in bulk then the message is spam.
Further information here: http://www.spamhaus.org/definition.html
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So in short, the argument that if there is a "unsubscribe" link in the message, then it is not spam is false. People subscribe to magazines, or to newsletters. It's called a subscription. No one (at least no one I know) subscribes to spam listings. The "subscribe" term is a misnomer, thus it should not be applied to spam mails. "Unsubcribing" is irrelevant.
The CAN-SPAM ACT is nothing but a license to spam. Casinos who rely on this policy are doing the entire industry a disfavor. For one thing, this act is a US act, it has nothing to do with Europe, Asia, Africa, or any other place besides the US. To rely on this is pure laziness on the casino's part. Also, the CAN-SPAM Act is exactly that - spammers are allowed to spam unsolicited bulk email addresses. They CAN SPAM.
What really irks me, is that responsible webmasters who run sites like Gonegambling.com, Got2Bet.com, Reviewed-casinos.com, and yours truly pay for these a-hole spammer tactics. My newsletter is reaching less people because of this. Even though I use a third party for sending this out (topica.com), it gets blocked by many servers - including my own. That's right, I don't even receive my own newsletter.
Be Proactive
Before signing up at a casino, open a Hotmail or other "free" email account and name it nameofcasinoxyz@hotmail.com (or something to this effect). When you start receiving spam - you know who has sold your email address. If you post on message boards, do not post your email address. Your email address will be harvested - that's guaranteed.
Note to Casino Marketers and Affiliate Managers
Abide by the spam definitions presented by SpamHaus.org and NOT by the US CAN-SPAM Act. Produce a concise and exact anti-spam policy and ensure your affiliates obey its rules. Be vigilant in dealing with affiliates who spam. Spam not only damages your client's reputation, it damages the image of this industry as a whole. Do not be lured into a notion of making a quick and easy buck. Players hate spam. Responsible webmasters abhor it. US lawmakers relish it. And with enough complaints, your servers will be shut down.
Email marketing should only be allowed by webmasters who have "Closed-Loop Opt-In" mailing lists. In other words, the recipient has verifiably confirmed permission for the address to be included on the webmaster's mailing list. "Opt-In", "Double-opt-in", etc., is spammer speak for email lists of people who have not opted-out, therefore they are "opt-in." This is spam. Don't do it. More information here.
What can be done?
As a spam recipient, please do the following: DO NOT IGNORE THE SPAM - INSTEAD, COMPLAIN ABOUT IT! Do not click the "unsubscribe" link. This will only confirm that your email address is functional and you will (in most cases) receive more spam. Contact your ISP. Most ISPs have instructions on how to report spam to them. Send them the full header of the spam mail. Your ISP should be able to take care of submitting abuse complaints to Spamcop.net and other online spam reporting groups. Please bear in mind, most online casino spam is sent by evil or misguided affiliates, and their affiliate managers need to know about it.
Report the spam to the appropriate affiliate manager. In most cases, affiliate managers will nip this in the bud and either chastise or cancel the affiliate's account. DO NOT PATRONIZE CASINOS THAT CONTINUE TO SPAM. This is serious stuff and casinos need to be sent a message that using spam as a marketing technique is unacceptable. Here is a list of casinos with their respective affiliate managers and/or points of contact.
Phoenician Group:
Phoenician Casino
Nostalgia Casino
Affiliate Program:
http://adriches.com/
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Posted Policy on spam:
Mailers are provided for webmasters who have opt in lists and newsletters. These mailers are not to be used for spam. Abuse may result in the termination of your account.
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Point of contact: rakesh@adriches.com
Jackpot Factory Casinos:
All Slots Casino
All Jackpots Casino
All Jackpots Casino
First Web Casino
Wild Jack Casino
Wild Jack Poker
Affiliate Program:
Brightshare.com
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Posted Policy on spam:
BrightShare makes reasonable commercial efforts to conform to the Federal Trade Commission's CanSpam Act. Accordingly, BrightShare expressly prohibits the promotion and marketing of any gaming merchant within its Affiliate Program by the transmission, distribution or delivery of any unsolicited bulk or unsolicited commercial email ("Spam"). Under no circumstances may an Affiliate deliver Spam or cause Spam to be delivered to any player or prospective player... More here.
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Point of contact: info@brightshare.com
Fortune Lounge Casinos:
7Sultans Casino
Desert Dollar Casino
Diamond Casino
Fortune Room Casino
Havana Club Casino
Platinum Play Casino
Royal Vegas Casino
Vegas Palms Casino
Vegas Towers Casino
Vegas Villa Casino
7Sultans Poker Room
Royal Vegas Poker Room
Goldfishka Casino
Affiliate Program:
Fortune Affiliates
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Posted Policy on spam:
Fortune Affiliates complies with the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 and will not tolerate SPAM from Affiliates. Any Affiliate found to be guilty of spamming will be dealt with appropriately. Listed below please find Fortune Affiliates penalties... More here.
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Point of contact: Spam@FortuneAffiliates.com
Bellerock Casinos:
Aces High Casino
Gaming Club Casino
Lucky Nugget
Jackpot City Casino
Riverbelle Casino
ShowDown Casino
Home Casino
Affiliate Program:
Referback.com
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Posted Policy on spam:
'Spam' means any electronic mail message the primary purpose of which is the commercial advertisement or promotion of a commercial product or service (including content on an Internet website operated for a commercial purpose).which is intentionally transmitted to multiple commercial electronic mail messages from or through a computer... Any form of Spam will result in the Affiliate's account being placed under review and all funds due to the Affiliate being withheld pending an investigation... More here.
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Point of contact: spamreport@ReferBack.com
Bodog Casino and Sportsbook
Affiliate Program:
Bodog.com
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Posted Policy on spam:
If an Affiliate engages in spam, Bodog will place their account under review and withhold all funds otherwise due pending an investigation. By registering as a Bodog Affiliate, you agree that our Customers are liable to incur expenses in dealing with Spam generated mail and these same expenses will be deducted from Affiliate's account should our Customer seek recourse... More here.
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Point of contact: brad@bodog.com
Geisha Lounge Group:
Geisha Lounge
King Solomons Casino
Grand Aces Casino
Affiliate Program:
Wager Junction
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Posted Policy on spam:
You are responsible for choosing and placing links on your site. How and where you place them is up to you. You are also required to follow prevailing spam laws for your particular country and the countries to which you will be sending email. To retain the integrity of the branding and reputation of Wager Junction.
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Point of contact: greg@wagerjunction.com
Casino Rewards Group:
Blackjack Ballroom
Yukon Gold
Captain Cooks Casino
Golden Tiger Casino
Casino Kingdom
Zodiac Casino
Virtual City Casino
Casino Classic
Lucky Emperor
Strike It Lucky
Affiliate Program:
Casino Rewards
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Posted Policy on spam:
To ensure the quality of our marketing practices and of those who represent us, we require that you abide by these rules. The affiliate understands that all communications must be consensual. No user on an affiliate list should ever have to unsubscribe from a list they did not intentionally subscribe to. We have a zero tolerance policy for the mailing of unsolicited e-mail at RewardsAffiliates... More here.
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Point of contact: Ryan@RewardsAffiliates.com
Spin Palace Group:
Spin Palace Casino
Ruby Fortune
Spin Place Poker Room
Affiliate Program:
Wagershare
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Posted Policy on spam:
WagerShare has specific rules on spam that do limit the general prohibitions against spamming of any type. Any of the following activities are strictly prohibited:
- The use of any false information to conceal the origin of the email or hide the identity of the sender.
- Unauthorized use of a third party's domain name in order to make it appear that they were the origin of the email.
- Use of any false information in the title of the email...
More here.
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Point of contact: Tim Whyles tim@wagershare.com
This is only a preliminary listing since time is a factor. Nevertheless, if you do not see the spamming casino's name here, be sure to check the list in our forum's Casino Operator Representatives page here.
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