Industry Reform Recommendations

SlotsWizard

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May 11, 2006
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I propose the following changes to the online gaming industry:

1) ADVANCE IDENTIFICATION AND ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION

All casinos should require that new players have their identification details verified BEFORE any deposit will be accepted, period. Such a policy would have precluded the situation which earned the Grand Priv group rogue status.

2) ELIMINATE BONUSES

Wagering requirements are becoming ridiculous - 1500x on Blackjack?! Instead of offering bonuses to attract new players, why not offer fast service and fast payouts?

3) COMP POINTS

Should still exist, but should be credited to player accounts as withdrawable cash, so as not to violate proposed amendment #2. Anybody who wagers $10,000 to receive a $1.00 comp chip should be able to withdraw that $1.00 if they wish - but we all know that they won't anyway.

4) DECREASED OR ELIMINATED REVERSAL PERIODS

While I think it should be the casino's right to have a reverse-withdrawal period, it should never be longer than 24 hours, and it should be the player's choice to have this immediately flushed upon request via Live Help. Sending an email and having to wait several hours (the length of the reverse withdrawal period!) just to get the runaround is not acceptable.

5) INSTANT BANKING

Withdrawals should never take longer than deposits. Currently, deposits are instant, but withdrawals take several days. This should be viewed by players as unacceptable. My proposed amendment #1, followed properly, would resolve this issue in its entirety. Certain methods (credit/debit cards, ACH, etc.) take a business day to process, which is acceptable because it is beyond the control of the casino(s). But for e-wallet options such as NETeller there is absolutely no excuse for delayed payments.

6) FAST AND DIRECT EMAIL SUPPORT

Sending emails to a general address such as support@myfavoritecasino.com takes hours before it is read and/or a response is issued. Each successive reply goes to a different CSR, who has no previous knowledge of the player's situation, and is often unable or unwilling to read the chain of emails to determine what has already been done and/or communicated. I recommend that once a CSR replies to a player's first email for a particular support ticket, then that CSR becomes bound to resolve the player's issue through to the end (unless management needs to get involved), and that the CSR's direct email address should be used so that the player may reply directly to the person who is already most knowledgeable about their situation. Rehashing things several times to several different CSRs is frustrating and should also be deemed unacceptable by the player community.


Well, that's all I can think of for now I guess. Feel free to add more suggestions to the list. I think if players restrict their gaming to casinos who adhere to most or all of these policies, then the casinos who do not will be forced to keep up or will go out of business. What better way is there to indicate what we really want than by not financially supporting tactics we do not approve of?
 
I agree on pretty much all counts SJ.. My biggest beef right now is the time it takes to make a withdrawl. I deposit, and within seconds it's accepted. I withdraw and it's been since Thursday night and still nothing. Now, I accept that many casino's don't do withdrawls on weekends, however, WHY do they take deposits on weekends then?! It should go hand in hand, should it not?
I don't know why I gamble so much online, I should really take my cash to the B&M that's only 15 minutes away. At least there if I win I know I'll get paid, and RIGHT NOW.. They won't be telling me it will take up to a week to process my withdrawl. Not to mention the fear I have of not receiving my $ at all.. at a land based facility those worries will drift away. Apparently we're supposed to be getting penney slots soon.. if they are half as good as the ones online my gambling habits will change from pj's and a beer to I have to travel to win money.. :lolup:
 
No offense slotjunkie but this stands no chance, the casinos will never reform to this, and you cant use this forum as a defense. Only a small fraction of all online gamblers come here. This will never happen unless its being regulated.
 
All good points. It doesn't take reform, just the one or two forward-thinking casinos to seize the initiative. Over time, the others will have to follow ;) Some casinos have one or two of thoe, but no casino has them all that I'm aware of - yet, anyway. Also, some of that requires software provider intervention in some cases.
 
liquidsoap said:
No offense but the casinos will never reform to this, and you cant use this forum as a defense. Only a small fraction of all online gamblers come here. This will never happen unless its being regulated.
I agree with you there. What motivation is there to change what they currently have when it works well for them.

If I ran my own online casino, I would implement policies like this. Anyone know of an island for sale somewhere that has internet access? ;)
 
SlotsJunkie said:
If I ran my own online casino, I would implement policies like this.
I believe you would only appeal to a certain audience then, some people like KK make a game amount of money using and abusing bonuses. How about you have an optional bonus at sign in, with 4X playthrough?? :D
 
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liquidsoap said:
How about you have an optional bonus at sign in, with 4X playthrough?? :D
I suppose an optional sign-up bonus is not too bad an idea. I guess when you think about it, all bonuses are optional.

The 4x figure is a bit low, though... how about a 150% sign-up bonus up to $200 with 10x WR valid on slots only?*

*In the event the bonus has been used to place wagers on excluded games, Casino management reserves the right to confiscate any and all winnings, refund your deposit, and lock your account indefinitely. :lolup:
 
AGREE!!!

On everything except bonuses.

That is just utopic... Bonuses are just like cancer. They came to stay.

Regarding email support I will rather make a rule that if a chat appears unavailable or they take 10 minutes to answer it the casino will automatically disappear from the web and all their employees will suffer of unspeakable mis fortune...jejeje

Just kidding...

I like the idea... this forum as powerful as it might be will never change anything if bigger efforts are not applied.

Nice thread.
 
I have been thought for a while to find another subject,but I cant able to find.

Yes,you listed all and they are only 6. (If we count ''DECREASED OR ELIMINATED REVERSAL PERIODS'' and ''Instant Banking'' as same,only 5 topics)

If a big casino group closed their casinos (or without closing) and open a new casino which fit these 5 topic,they will have millions of members in just one year.

I dont understand what stop them.Dont they want our money?
 
1 and 2 would put any casino implementing them in a less competetive position, so they are not going to happen. What if a casino does not normally require documents, but there is some particular issue about your account that comes to light later?

The casinos not doing 3 are an exception, rather than the rule.

4 and 5 should be doable, but there may be cost implications and I would rather have an extra 1% or 2% in my pocket than pay for faster processing.

6: Would you expect the same person to provide 24 hour support 7 days a week? You have to accept either different people dealing with the issue or that your e-mails may not get answered when the person dealing with your issue is off duty.
 
GrandMaster said:
1 and 2 would put any casino implementing them in a less competitive position
Agreed - for the bonuses at least. As someone else pointed out, they're here to stay. But I really think that if #1 were implemented it would only be a matter of time before word got around about how, after a signup process similar to that of NETeller, you are in the free and clear to deposit, win and withdraw as much as you wish with absolutely no hassle whatsoever, therefore eventually putting them in a competitive position.

GrandMaster said:
6: Would you expect the same person to provide 24 hour support 7 days a week? You have to accept either different people dealing with the issue or that your e-mails may not get answered when the person dealing with your issue is off duty.
Agreed. However, their support ticket software could easily be written to identify the ticket number from the subject of the email (if available) and re-route it back to the original CSR, or to a different CSR if the original CSR is unavailable. If no ticket number is present in the subject of the email, it should be distributed randomly or round-robin as it is now.

And I accept that there is no motivation to improve upon any of these processes because doing so would not provide any immediate financial benefit to a casino; such benefits would only reveal themselves over the long-term.
 
SlotsJunkie said:
I propose the following changes to the online gaming industry:

1) ADVANCE IDENTIFICATION AND ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION

All casinos should require that new players have their identification details verified BEFORE any deposit will be accepted, period. Such a policy would have precluded the situation which earned the Grand Priv group rogue status.

2) ELIMINATE BONUSES

Wagering requirements are becoming ridiculous - 1500x on Blackjack?! Instead of offering bonuses to attract new players, why not offer fast service and fast payouts?

3) COMP POINTS

Should still exist, but should be credited to player accounts as withdrawable cash, so as not to violate proposed amendment #2. Anybody who wagers $10,000 to receive a $1.00 comp chip should be able to withdraw that $1.00 if they wish - but we all know that they won't anyway.

4) DECREASED OR ELIMINATED REVERSAL PERIODS

While I think it should be the casino's right to have a reverse-withdrawal period, it should never be longer than 24 hours, and it should be the player's choice to have this immediately flushed upon request via Live Help. Sending an email and having to wait several hours (the length of the reverse withdrawal period!) just to get the runaround is not acceptable.

5) INSTANT BANKING

Withdrawals should never take longer than deposits. Currently, deposits are instant, but withdrawals take several days. This should be viewed by players as unacceptable. My proposed amendment #1, followed properly, would resolve this issue in its entirety. Certain methods (credit/debit cards, ACH, etc.) take a business day to process, which is acceptable because it is beyond the control of the casino(s). But for e-wallet options such as NETeller there is absolutely no excuse for delayed payments.

6) FAST AND DIRECT EMAIL SUPPORT

Sending emails to a general address such as support@myfavoritecasino.com takes hours before it is read and/or a response is issued. Each successive reply goes to a different CSR, who has no previous knowledge of the player's situation, and is often unable or unwilling to read the chain of emails to determine what has already been done and/or communicated. I recommend that once a CSR replies to a player's first email for a particular support ticket, then that CSR becomes bound to resolve the player's issue through to the end (unless management needs to get involved), and that the CSR's direct email address should be used so that the player may reply directly to the person who is already most knowledgeable about their situation. Rehashing things several times to several different CSRs is frustrating and should also be deemed unacceptable by the player community.


Well, that's all I can think of for now I guess. Feel free to add more suggestions to the list. I think if players restrict their gaming to casinos who adhere to most or all of these policies, then the casinos who do not will be forced to keep up or will go out of business. What better way is there to indicate what we really want than by not financially supporting tactics we do not approve of?


All that sounds real good SlotsJunkie, maybe we could convince eCOGRA to regulate these new changes and monitor them, since they have done such an outstanding job with the Jackpot Factory group....:lolup:
 
If I were to write a bill of rights for players, it would look something like this:

1. A casino must offer fair games.

2. A casino must pay its players when they win.

3. A casino must display any special terms or conditions prominantly on its website.

4. A casino must bring any special terms or conditions specificially to the attention of the player, before he begins to play.

5. Terms and conditions must be clear, concise, and unambiguous.

6. Any ambiguity in a casino's rules must be resolved in favor of the player.

7. A casino must process withdrawals quickly and accurately.

8. A casino may not request documents merely to delay a cash-out.

9. A casino must hold players' information secure and confidential.

10. A casino may not confiscate a player's deposit or winnings, except in the case of deliberate fraud. Should a casino confiscate a player's money, the player is entitled to a complete and accurate explanation, as well as an opportunity to answer the charges against him.

I'm sure there's others I'm leaving out, but that would be a good beginning.
 
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Linus said:
If I were to write a bill of rights for players, it would look something like this:

1. A casino must offer fair games.
2. A casino must pay its players when they win.
3. A casino must display any special terms or conditions prominantly on its website.
4. A casino must bring any special terms or conditions specificially to the attention of the player, before he begins to play.
5. Terms and conditions must be clear, concise, and unambiguous.
6. Any ambiguity in a casino's rules must be resolved in favor of the player.
7. A casino must process withdrawals quickly and accurately.
8. A casino may not request documents merely to delay a cash-out.
9. A casino must hold players' information secure and confidential.
10. A casino may not confiscate a player's deposit or winnings, except in the case of deliberate fraud. Should a casino confiscate a player's money, the player is entitled to a complete and accurate explanation, as well as an opportunity to answer the charges against him.

I'm sure there's others I'm leaving out, but that would be a good beginning.
LOTS of good points in there! Here's my proposed addition:

11. Thou shalt not spam thy players.
 
SlotsJunkie said:
I propose the following changes to the online gaming industry:


2) ELIMINATE BONUSES

Wagering requirements are becoming ridiculous - 1500x on Blackjack?! Instead of offering bonuses to attract new players, why not offer fast service and fast payouts?

3) COMP POINTS

Should still exist, but should be credited to player accounts as withdrawable cash, so as not to violate proposed amendment #2. Anybody who wagers $10,000 to receive a $1.00 comp chip should be able to withdraw that $1.00 if they wish - but we all know that they won't anyway.


These two points go hand in hand.

I'd like to see something that more closely resembles a land-based casino where you are rewarded for your play instead of enticed to play.

If bonuses could be eliminated, comp values could go up, providing more motivation (read cashback :thumbsup: ) for players to be loyal to the casino (and give more play).

More ways to cash out/spend/wager your comps would be a nice touch too.
 

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