Merging of Wagershare and Referback affiliate programs: Buffalo Partners

[The Dude]

Just in case you haven't heard - Wagershare and Referback are merging into Buffalo Affiliates. I'm not sure it this is a good or bad thing. Time will tell I'm guessing - and this will pretty much depend on the way this new program is managed.

Just an FYI - Wagershare casinos are not accredited - Referback casinos are.

 

[chayton]

I got that mail and noticed this part:

Please note that once the merge occurs on the 1st of August, the King Neptunes and River Belle brands will not be part of Buffalo Partners. All existing King Neptunes and River Belle players will be carried over to your Buffalo Partners account and you will continue to earn commission for the lifetime of the player. No new players will be accepted after the 31st of August 2014 and we would advise for all links to be removed.

Does that mean they're closing River Belle and King Neptunes? Do you know, Bryan? If so it would be kind of a shame, especially River Belle since they were the flagship operator for that whole group.

 

[maphesto]

Just an FYI - Wagershare casinos are not accredited - Referback casinos are.

When did Palace group lose their accreditation? I must have missed that info!

 

[PaaskeDenmark]

Sounds like Buffalo Wings to me!!!

 

[mattsgame]

I really don't know what to think here or what I am going to do. I do not trust Wager Share and their casinos as far as I could kick them, yet have had a good relationship with Referback.

Need to find out some more info and who is running the show etc, otherwise they all maybe in the bin for me.

 

[The Dude]

When did Palace group lose their accreditation? I must have missed that info!

That was back in June. You should be reading our newsletter.
https://www.casinomeister.com/newsletters/

I really don't know what to think here or what I am going to do. I do not trust Wager Share and their casinos as far as I could kick them, yet have had a good relationship with Referback.

Need to find out some more info and who is running the show etc, otherwise they all maybe in the bin for me.

Grapevine commo: it may be Referback people picking up the ball on this. Over the past several years, Wagershare has not been tuned into affiliate needs and concerns. There have been some very disappointing moments and I would be very hard pressed to find any webmaster that has been happy with their management. Referback on the other hand, has been easier to work with. In 2012 and 2009 they received the Best Affiliate Program Meister Award. Let's hope the merging of the programs is for the better - not the worse.

As for King Neptunes and Riverbelle, it would be a shame to see them go. Those are solid branded properties that have been around for donkey years.

 

[justred]

I got that mail and noticed this part:



Does that mean they're closing River Belle and King Neptunes? Do you know, Bryan? If so it would be kind of a shame, especially River Belle since they were the flagship operator for that whole group.

From what I understand those brands will continue to service existing players. But it also sounds like the brands will remain open and will actually still allow signups but the affiliate links will stop working. So I understand that you will lose a player if you do not update your links. Maybe RB can clarify this formally but it's what I heard from my rep. That would raise the odd question mark now wouldn't it?

I also understand that you will keep your referback deal, so if you had an inferior deal on Wagershare you would now me moving all the brands into a better deal. That would be good but also needs to be clarified.

I just PRAY for a successful data migration.

Deep breath.

Will post clarification if any is forthcoming.

 

[justred]

Sounds like Buffalo Wings to me!!!

Nom nom.

 

[3jokers]

Players seems to like Jackpot City so I will give Buffalo a try. I am however concerened about the merger with Wagershare. Last year I had some problems with "locked players" and other strange things with the Wagershare casinos. Hope buffalo will be more like Referback.

 

[justred]

So all past UK players on any of the Referback brands are being migrated to Betway with no tags.

As apparently are all the Fortune Affiliates UK players unless it;s a very strong rumor only.

Seems this is the new way things are getting done in this industry.

 

[The Dude]

So all past UK players on any of the Referback brands are being migrated to Betway with no tags...

Care to elaborate? I would like to get some clarification on this from the casino rep. But before I do, could you please explain how you came to this conclusion. Thanks!

 

[vinylweatherman]

Care to elaborate? I would like to get some clarification on this from the casino rep. But before I do, could you please explain how you came to this conclusion. Thanks!

The migrations to Betway are happening, but it seems that casinos are keen to migrate the affiliate tags too. The problems are really down to a lack of timely communication, and so the rumours hold sway.

Having to change the banners does not necessarily mean that players who have already signed up will be detagged. The request to change banners is to ensure that affiliates don't inadvertently lose traffic due to redirects at the destination sites that would refer UK players onward to Betway, but without a Betway affiliate program tag.

The GoWild migration to 32Red has preserved affiliate tags, and this seems to be the intention for the second migration of UK players from Casino UK to Roxy Palace. Microgaming have implemented migration such that active players will automatically migrate when they log in to their former casino. The implementation seems to support the preservation of tags, and presumably all Microgaming casinos that migrate players to another Microgaming casino will avail themselves of this facility.

To be sure, affiliates should pay close attention to their data so as to catch any potential glitches in the process as early as possible.

 

[The Dude]

Buffalo Affiliates will be getting back to me in a day or two with a statement on this.

 

[justred]

Care to elaborate? I would like to get some clarification on this from the casino rep. But before I do, could you please explain how you came to this conclusion. Thanks!

Hi Brian

This is the conclusion I have come to. All the old FA / RFB / Wagershare brands to close their UK accounts. When asking if the UK players will be carried across to Betway with tags there has been no straight answer. From a phone conversation, this is the conclusion I have come to.

I have asked again. The umpteenth time. I hope I am wrong but I don't think so.

 

[justred]

The migrations to Betway are happening, but it seems that casinos are keen to migrate the affiliate tags too. The problems are really down to a lack of timely communication, and so the rumours hold sway.

Having to change the banners does not necessarily mean that players who have already signed up will be detagged. The request to change banners is to ensure that affiliates don't inadvertently lose traffic due to redirects at the destination sites that would refer UK players onward to Betway, but without a Betway affiliate program tag.

The GoWild migration to 32Red has preserved affiliate tags, and this seems to be the intention for the second migration of UK players from Casino UK to Roxy Palace. Microgaming have implemented migration such that active players will automatically migrate when they log in to their former casino. The implementation seems to support the preservation of tags, and presumably all Microgaming casinos that migrate players to another Microgaming casino will avail themselves of this facility.

To be sure, affiliates should pay close attention to their data so as to catch any potential glitches in the process as early as possible.

Thanks VWM

To my knowledge, GoWild / 32Red is the only group that have confirmed that they are actually migrating with tags, in writing.

Until I see anything else from any other group I will remain a skeptic.

The redirecting of traffic is another issue. They should really redirect with a matched tag. It is not hard to implement, but there is a potentially lucrative traffic grab in there from affiliates who are slack in changing their sites. Not accusing anyone of intentional monkey business, but there is nothing to suggest the contrary out there right now.

The noises from Casino UK are that they will migrate the tags but we shall see.

You are right, communication has been disappointing.

 

[vinylweatherman]

Hi Brian

This is the conclusion I have come to. All the old FA / RFB / Wagershare brands to close their UK accounts. When asking if the UK players will be carried across to Betway with tags there has been no straight answer. From a phone conversation, this is the conclusion I have come to.

I have asked again. The umpteenth time. I hope I am wrong but I don't think so.

Well, we know it can be done when migrating Microgaming to Microgaming, as in GoWild to 32Red. It also seems to be getting done with Casino UK to Roxy Palace, so it must be of concern that they won't give you a straight answer. It should be a simple "yes".

If it turns out to be a "no", it might be worth while seeing if the PAB service can be used for affiliates to complain about a program. However, I think the biggest fire under their asses will be best lit over at one of the major affiliate forums.

An added complication can be seen from the players' point of view. These migrations are leaving some with duplicate accounts, so it is likely that one of these accounts will be closed in the medium term to comply with the usual "one account per person" rule. If players choose to close the migrated accounts and keep their existing ones, then it would appear to affiliates that something "dodgy" has happened as they will see some active players suddenly stop playing, yet the migration would be branded "a success" by the casinos concerned. Most players will have no idea that the account they choose to close could affect an affiliate's future earnings.

It will be interesting to see whether Bryan can extract a "straight answer" from them.

 

[The Dude]

...

It will be interesting to see whether Bryan can extract a "straight answer" from them.

They've ensured me that they will be releasing a statement this week that will answer most (if not all) of our questions.

 

[Graeme]

I'm not getting a response from any of the contacts I have at Buffalo.
Please could someone tell me who to contact.
Graeme

 

[The Dude]

I'm not getting a response from any of the contacts I have at Buffalo.
Please could someone tell me who to contact.
Graeme

Hi Graeme,

Andrew should be able to sort you out:
https://www.casinomeister.com/forums/members/33700/

 

[Graeme]

Hi Graeme,

Andrew should be able to sort you out:
https://www.casinomeister.com/forums/members/33700/

Thanks Bryan
Andrew has not responded to 4 messages. Nor has Nelson. Do you perhaps have another contact?

This non-response sends warning signals. Am I alone in not getting replies?

 

[The Dude]

Thanks Bryan
Andrew has not responded to 4 messages. Nor has Nelson. Do you perhaps have another contact?

This non-response sends warning signals. Am I alone in not getting replies?

He may not have checked his forum account, but I've been in contact with Andrew via email.

 

[KasinoKing]

Buffalo Affiliates will be getting back to me in a day or two with a statement on this.

I have been told the exact same thing (by Andrew).

The big problem is, the Betway back-end currently gives absolutely ZERO information about their players - not their account ref or even their country of residence. Unless they change this, there is bound to be enormous speculation that they are just "shaving off" the players sent there from the other brands...

KK

 

[justred]

So today we finally see some communication on the matter, which is encouraging:

Dear Affiliate,

Our casino partners have thoroughly enjoyed offering their brands and services to their players and affiliates across the United Kingdom for over a decade, where incredible growth was achieved in a highly competitive and sometimes challenging market.

Since the announcements of the UK licensing reform our casino partners have decided to discontinue all of their brands and marketing in the UK. As a consequence, all players that fall within the definitions of the ‘UK Persons’ will no longer be able to play with Buffalo Partner casino partners.

Buffalo Partners casino partners have decided to focus their resources and operations on their highly successful international operations and will continue to drive high player value through these and new markets on the horizon. Buffalo Partners is very proud to continue introducing these casinos as customers to our affiliate partners who in turn can share in the growth being achieved in these markets.

After a lengthy review of the available partners in the regulated market space we believe that the Betway brand is a fantastic partner for our affiliates and players alike. In order that the value of the UK players are not lost to any of our affiliate partners, given our partners' decision to withdraw from the UK market, we have taken measures to negotiate a deal whereby these players are offered the possibility of migrating to Betway. Betway Partners will in turn uphold the terms agreed with Buffalo Partners with regard to any players that are successfully migrated to Betway.

If you don’t have an account with Betway affiliate program, please register at www.betwaypartners.com at the earliest convenience. Please inform your existing affiliate manager at Buffalo Partners of the details of your new or existing Betway Partners account so that all the tracking for your players will be tagged and migrated across correctly.

We are here to assist and guide affiliates through the migration process so please feel free to contact us at any time. You can reach us via the general support contact email address at: ...

...

Betway is the only Digimedia brand that accepts UK players. I wonder what the lengthy review was all about?

 

[vinylweatherman]

Also, these "international" markets are becoming increasingly regulated.

It's REGULATION that they are running away from, not the UK players, a market that they previously say was delivering "incredible growth". It is likely that others will follow the lead of the UK, and also France, Spain and Italy that took a similar approach before the UK, and there will be more "running away" from one market or another. The supply of new "lightly regulated" markets will also diminish, so in the end, they will have to come back and compete in the "new order" that will emerge, but they will be at a considerable disadvantage as the incumbents who stayed and evolved with the regulations will have the advantage, and are likely to see off all but the best of the newcomers.

In the end, they will be left with those countries where it wasn't lack of regulation that scared them away, but the endemic fraud and "bonus abuse" that existed in those countries that led casinos to previously have them down as "banned countries".

I remember when some casinos listed the UK as a "banned country", but when they started to lose their grip on the huge US market, they could no longer ignore the UK market as it's one of the biggest gambling markets in the EU. Suddenly, UK players were no longer treated like pariahs, they were actively being attracted to play in the same casinos that once listed the UK as a "banned country".

Maybe they are relying on the biggest gambling fan base of all, the Asian market, where laws prohibiting online gambling are freely ignored by players, and barely enforced by the authorities. Very much how the US market used to be before 2006, UIGEA, and the beginning of a determined drive by the authorities to drive the offshore operators out of the US marketplace by fair means or foul.

 

[maphesto]

Betway is the only Digimedia brand that accepts UK players.

I don't think Betway is a Digimedia brand. I think they even have their own gaming license. There are obviously connections, Betway-Bayton-Digimedia. The whole idea seems to be to not have a Digimedia brand on the UK market.

 

[justred]

I don't think Betway is a Digimedia brand.

Technically speaking that is probably correct.

I should probably have used a camp fire analogy instead but I am sure you get what I was trying to say.

 

[justred]

In the end, they will be left with those countries where it wasn't lack of regulation that scared them away, but the endemic fraud and "bonus abuse" that existed in those countries that led casinos to previously have them down as "banned countries".

I remember when some casinos listed the UK as a "banned country", but when they started to lose their grip on the huge US market, they could no longer ignore the UK market as it's one of the biggest gambling markets in the EU. Suddenly, UK players were no longer treated like pariahs, they were actively being attracted to play in the same casinos that once listed the UK as a "banned country".

Lol that brings back memories. I remember getting a call from a prominent group back in the day complaining about the bonus abusers we were sending them from the UK. They now call these same people "players".

 

[Webzcas]

As apparently are all the Fortune Affiliates UK players unless it;s a very strong rumor only.

I got an email from Platinum Play that my player account is being moved to Spin Casino.

I have been pretty much on vacation the past year or so, but will be starting back on all my sites with relish come October. Looks like I will be very very very busy

One thing I have learnt in the last year are which programs I can trust. Very very disappointed with you Fortune Affiliates.

Big shout out to the likes of bet365affiliates, Affiliate Edge and 32RedAffiliates. These three programs are different class and have been brilliant, considering I have not been around very much at all due to personal circumstances and taking a break from the industry as a whole.

 

[KasinoKing]

After a lengthy review of the available partners in the regulated market space we believe that the Betway brand is a fantastic partner for our affiliates and players alike. In order that the value of the UK players are not lost to any of our affiliate partners, given our partners' decision to withdraw from the UK market, we have taken measures to negotiate a deal whereby these players are offered the possibility of migrating to Betway. Betway Partners will in turn uphold the terms agreed with Buffalo Partners with regard to any players that are successfully migrated to Betway.

Boy this could get messy!

If Betway ARE going to honour the terms affiliates had at the previous properties, they could end up having players on 5 or 6 different commission agreements!

These groups (all separate at the start of the year) are ALL sending their UK players to Betway (about 20 different casinos):
WagerShare (Palace Group): No NCO, No bundling, Did have minimum player quotas.
ReferBack (BellRock Group): No NCO, No bundling, No minimum player quotas.
BrightShare (Jackpot Factory Group): No NCO, Did have bundling, No minimum player quotas.
Fortune Affiliates (Fortune Lounge): No NCO, Did have bundling, No minimum player quotas.
Red Returns (Red Flush Group): No NCO, Did have bundling, No minimum player quotas.

On top of that of course, different affiliates could have had different Rev Share % agreements with each group.

Betway DO have NCO, DO have Bundling and DO have minimum player quotas (which if you don't meet - you don't get paid and your commission % gets slashed to no more than 2/5 of your agreed level).

The best thing Betway can do is scrap ALL of the above predatory terms and agree a fixed % with each affiliate for all their players.
I doubt that will happen, but if it doesn't, they are going to have a lot of pretty peed-off affiliates on their hands...

KK

 

[Zodiac]

The best thing Betway can do is scrap ALL of the above predatory terms and agree a fixed % with each affiliate for all their players.
I doubt that will happen, but if it doesn't, they are going to have a lot of pretty peed-off affiliates on their hands...

KK

I totally agree with you KK. Promote Betway.com many years but things are going always more bad from year to year. The NCO retroactively is the crown, apart from the 3 months rule. Seems that i must search for another brand where having better terms & conditions. In this way it makes no fun to promote further, because it gives a lot of other brands.

I don't know whether Betway.com have already the new UK License but they should get.

Also heard that they should be taken from FL.

 

[Zodiac]

One thing I have learnt in the last year are which programs I can trust. Very very disappointed with you Fortune Affiliates.

I must say the same because i have experienced FL as a serious company many years ago. We don't must talk about the casinos, they are all okay.

At the past years i met also some VIP Casino managers.

But now and in regard of our business i must determine that the problem are the responsibles (Teamleader and Marketing Coordinator) from FA Departement. Very terrible i must say and i'm more disappointed as you Webzcas, believe me.

 

[justred]

Webzcas:

The impression given to affiliates has been that the migration to Spin Casino for the Microgaming casino will be on an email opt-in basis.

From the evidence posted in this thread, this is clearly not the case. Not if people have been told that they have an account.

Just yesterday I was told by an FA rep that they sent one email to the UK players to opt in to Spin Casino and no more.

This is starting to stink.

 

[vinylweatherman]

Webzcas:

The impression given to affiliates has been that the migration to Spin Casino for the Microgaming casino will be on an email opt-in basis.

From the evidence posted in this thread, this is clearly not the case. Not if people have been told that they have an account.

Just yesterday I was told by an FA rep that they sent one email to the UK players to opt in to Spin Casino and no more.

This is starting to stink.

I had an email from every Digimedia casino telling me I had been migrated to Spin casino. I managed to successfully migrate one account from a casino I still had installed on my laptop, and have decided to test them out.

Not looking so good as yet because every time I logged in I was greeted with the 100% welcome bonus message, but after I had clicked through to read the terms and make a deposit, no bonus was credited instantly. The message also no longer appears. Betway bonuses are instant, which is why it isn't looking good. I will wait to see if the bonus credits after a delay, then I might be able to test the quality of their CS.

It's a bad start if I now have to go through CS to sort out the problem or get an explanation. Maybe I migrated the "wrong" account, but how am I supposed to know which one is the right one

I will try to test the cashout process later on.

 

[Webzcas]

What an utter mess. But no surprise. Been banging on about the underhand tactics of Wagershare/Palace Group for many years now.

 

[AffGency]

The main problem is with Buffalo Partners, Betway, WinTech, Digimedia and all other company's tied to each other there is, they do not see Player either Affiliates as Partners or the livelihood of their operation.

Customers are more seen in a way that they should be happy having the right to play with them and Affiliates can be happy to work with them.

Most important , many workers seeing that their Company should come first and than Players and Affiliates, forgetting along the way that especially Players are the backbone of this joint ventures of companies and pays everyone of them the salary.

If they would change in a way as they was around 2006 - they would have been even bigger ... Im going so far that even if You sponsor the World Cup and the Top Soccer leagues or whereever you want to get on board... it does just gain a short momentum of more players. On the other hand if they start seeing customer is king and would treat partners better ... they would have skyrocket the gambling market.

Just my 5 cents here