Terms and Condition Changes - Brightshare (I Sense Something)

Webzcas

Winter is Coming!
Staff member
Joined
Mar 31, 2005
Location
Block S25, South Stand, Ashton Gate, BS3
Changes to T & C's for affiliate programs I haven't encountered for a long time.

Looks like Brightshare and Roxy Affiliates are the latest programs to introduce some crappy terms to their affiliate programs. There are many reports of Roxy actively closing down affiliate accounts with the reasoning that they are no longer producing new players. So much for life time revenue of an affiliates existing player base.

Brightshare have as of this morning introduced a player quota. Basically if you fail to introduce one new player in a rolling three month period, your earnings on your player base gets reduced to 15%.

Both moves are predatory and also unethical. Especially if as I believe they are in Brightshare's case being applied retroactively.

I work with both programs and have not been effected by these changes ( YET ), but will not hesitate kicking them both off all my sites and group them with Wagershare and the Palace Group as blacklisted and rogue, should they not see the error of their ways.

I also understand these programs are eCOGRA accredited. Well if this is the case, I will be joining the growing crowd who believe eCOGRA is a toothless organisation, with no ones interest but their members at heart, if they stand back and do nothing.

I am also going to be flagging this with Bryan when he returns. Enough is enough. We all have businesses to run and families to look after. When I sign up to a program, I don't expect the goal posts to be moved years down the line. :mad:
 
I have sent PM's to the Roxy Affiliates Rep and also the Jackpot Factory Rep here on the forum notifying them of this thread and also requesting their response.

Bryan as well as Max and Simmo have also been copied in on the PM.

Any webmasters who want to comment on this, please do so. Without your voice then it is very likely nothing will be reversed.
 
Thanks for bringing this to CM.
I read about this new Brightshare quota rule on another forum (AGD) and was shocked that this highly regarded group would be going down that route.

I did get notification that some terms would change, but the e-mail does not give the full details or say whether the changes are retroactive or not. Here is the e-mail (I've added numbers to the terms list):
Dear Xxxx,

As we announced recently, our clients have now moved to be hosted in Malta under a European license (LGA).

Due to the changes in the market and current industry standards, we revisited the financial and business terms of the current Affiliate program.

The terms were updated on the BrightShare site, and will be taking effect as of May 1st 2013.

For your convenience, the main changes to the terms and conditions are listed below:
1. Rev share will be calculated on a sliding scale according to the number of new players the affiliate brings in each month.
2. We will continue with NO negative carry-over, with the addition of a high-roller policy.
3. Payment will be made for new unique players that were not already active with any of our clients.
4. Rev share affiliates will receive a single aggregated rev share payment each month for all products, markets and brands.
5. Revenue share for markets that are closed (i.e. France, Italy, etc.) will be paid based on a reduced rev share percentage.
We are, as always, 100% committed to our tag line: Playing Fair, Sharing Success. You will continue to enjoy all the benefits of affiliating with BrightShare, with top revenues, payments like clockwork and the dedicated support of our professional affiliate managers and support team.

eCOGRA certification for both the affiliate program and the casinos will continue to be renewed annually, and our casinos will continue to work to produce the best offerings in the market, while entering new, attractive markets and incorporating the latest technology in the industry. This will include expanding their mobile offerings and providing affiliates with additional marketing tools to enhance their performance.

Please do not hesitate to contact your affiliate manager with any questions you may have.

These changes go into effect on May 1st, and as such, BrightShare reports will not be accessible during this update.

We look forward to maintaining our strong partnership and continuing to grow our success together.
The e-mail contained NO link to the terms on their website.

In addition to the new "quota" rule, it looks like there are some other very predatory changes in there too:
2) High Roller Policy... is that new?
3) If you refer someone to one of their casinos but they happen to have already joined one of the others - they wont be tagged to you.
5) They are reducing your "lifetime commission" on closed market players.

To say I am very disappointed with Brightshare (if these terms ARE retroactive), would be an understatement!

KK
 
I would state that i find that unacceptable, if there was no room for negotiation:
Of course i'm pretty sure that any contractual agreement cannot be broken by either separate partner on a whim, so to speak.

If a program is announced to be altered, for whatever reasons, and in the new structure/business model there would somehow be no room for running deals to continue, then a settlement should be arranged, which should ensure both parties to be satisfied.

Thereafter it is up to the affiliate to see if they want to continue promoting the partner in question, under the new model.

But if they just enforce it, and more or less screw you out of your lifetime revenue, that is in my eyes definitely rogue behavior.

I am also curious what Bryan has to say about this, and of course the rest of the affiliates that roam the forum.
I would also be interested in what the Casinos in question have to say for themselves.
 
I also read about this change on Brightshare yesterday, and i am about to remove them from all websites.

It's unethical tactics and those terms have nothing to do with a serious affiliate program. To me, it appears like a 'method' to reduce revenue from both existing profitable affiliates and probably new ones.

I'll keep reading this topic to see if there will be any change, if not, i will have to remove them from all my blogs/partners sites.
 
But if they just enforce it, and more or less screw you out of your lifetime revenue, that is in my eyes definitely rogue behavior.

The affiliate accounts being closed by Roxy is ROGUE behaviour. Stealing an existing player base sent by those affiliates who signed up to the program on the understanding, that they would receive revenue for life, for those players they sent to Roxy.

As for Brightshare, as KasinoKing mentions above, they have not stated whether the term changes are retroactive and have so far side stepped any question on this topic, on the other forums where they have been asked.

Bryan is currently away but have notified him of this thread and I am very keen on his input on this.
 
If these terms are applied to take effect on players referred from the date the term is implemented, that isn't unreasonable in that it gives the affiliate a choice as to whether to refer under those conditions going forward.

If however they have been applied retroactively then while it might be within the "we can do whatever we want whenever we want" rule, it would be unethical to do so IMO. It would also tell you something about the way affiliate arrangements are viewed by casino management.

Some clarification would be good.
 
If these terms are applied to take effect on players referred from the date the term is implemented, that isn't unreasonable in that it gives the affiliate a choice as to whether to refer under those conditions going forward.

I agree with this. But the problem is, Brightshare have so far not been forthcoming with any answers to any questions, although their rep hasn't visited the forum yet today, so would not have seen my PM pointing them in the direction of this thread.

As for Roxy closing affiliate accounts. That is bang out of order to be honest. It costs nothing to keep an affiliates details in a database. This smacks of a cost cutting exercise, giving them an excuse not to pay affiliates who have an active historical player base.

Regarding eCOGRA and their affiliate trust seal. I have written to Andrew this afternoon, copying Bryan in on the email. As I want to understand exactly what the Affiliate Trust Seal implies and covers. Both Brightshare and Roxy Affiliates have been bestowed this seal from eCOGRA.

Just to reiterate, the actions taken by Roxy and Brightshare have not affected me personally and I have worked with both programs since 2005. I am hoping, that this thread along with the others at places like AGD will make the two programs reverse their recent decisions.
 
For those affiliates that are concerned about these developments and changes, Affiliate Guard Dog will be shortly commencing a rogue campaign via their Social Media Accounts.
You do not have permission to view link Log in or register now.


If you use Facebook and Twitter and want to be fully informed as to what programs are going south you really should be following AGD's accounts.

I also want to add that Andrew at eCOGRA has informed me that they are to look into the changes made by Brightshare and the closure of affiliate accounts made by Roxy Palace. However, he is refusing point blank to discuss with me further on this matter, as he made it quite clear he did not like my comments regarding eCOGRA in the opening post in this thread.

He also failed to answer any of the questions I put to him, regarding the Affiliate Program Seals they award. Bryan was copied in on all email correspondence and hopefully dialogue on this issue with Andrew will continue down this avenue.

I stand by the comments I made and to be fair they were not that abrasive. It is quite simple. If an organisation such as eCOGRA is to bestow a seal labelled 'Affiliate Trust' on any program, then eCOGRA need to take action if that perceived trust is broken by the program.

If they fail to take action, then they should not have anything to do with dishing out seals to affiliate programs. Hopefully eCOGRA will prove that this is not the case and that they are up to the task in hand and also have the necessary bite required.

As for Brightshare and Roxy, so far the reps have not looked in here :rolleyes:
 
Further update on this, Andy has confirmed that Roxy Affiliates and Brightshare are to be moved into the rogue program category on AGD:

You do not have permission to view link Log in or register now.


From the eCOGRA Affiliate Trust Seal Page -
You do not have permission to view link Log in or register now.


Accreditation is open to all online gambling affiliate programs, which may be awarded the Affiliate Trust Seal under the following circumstances :

  • The affiliate program shares the eCOGRA vision toward fair and responsible treatment of affiliates and players, and has and proves the highest level of integrity;
  • The affiliate program complies with the eCOGRA Generally Accepted Practices (eGAP); and
  • The affiliate program is approved by eCOGRA’s Seals Compliance Committee.

These are the six programs who have been awarded the seal:

AffClub - Rogued on AGD
BrightShare - Introduced retroactive predatory terms. About to be rogued on AGD
Fortune Affiliates
Party Partners - Party Partners no longer in existence. Now part of bewinners and bwin.party partners. A program that is rogued on AGD
Roxy Affiliates - Closing of affiliate accounts who they deem are not sending enough traffic. About to be rogued on AGD
StarPartner
 
Thanks for binging this up here Dave,

I am seriously getting fed up with the industry as a whole and not just the affiliate side of things. I dropped Brightshare a little while ago after reading a few things about the tracking, I had 0 sign ups anyway.

I started adding my own warnings to a site a few weeks ago and I have more warnings to go up, the sad part is I have more warnings than those casinos that I can recommend :what::mad:

Lets just hope that not to many or any for that matter follow the trend that is happening today.

Following, Tweeting and doing what ever I can mate, lets hope others follow and get some sense out of some of these programs/operators.

Cheers
Matt
 
Some further information concerning Brightshare with some inside perspective from Lloyd Apter who many will know was with the program from their beginning until he left ( turned out he was fired ) a couple of years back. The contents of which are alarming to say the least.

You do not have permission to view link Log in or register now.
 
Further information concerning Roxy Affiliates and the closing of affiliate accounts. The termination of affiliate accounts is also not mentioned anywhere in their current T & C's, let alone from years gone by.

You do not have permission to view link Log in or register now.


The Roxy Rep and the Jackpot Factory Rep appear also not to be monitoring their accounts here on Casinomeister. They still have not even bothered to log in here since I sent them a PM on 1st May. Maybe they are both on holiday?
 
Hi All,

I'll be getting involved with this come Monday since I've just returned from the States last night. This is a serious issue that definitely needs to be addressed - especially since these affiliate programs represent Casinomeister Accredited Casinos and are bound by the standards of fair treatment.

...

The Roxy Rep and the Jackpot Factory Rep appear also not to be monitoring their accounts here on Casinomeister. They still have not even bothered to log in here since I sent them a PM on 1st May. Maybe they are both on holiday?
The Roxy account was dormant - I've reopened it. I'll see what's up about the JF account.
 
Simmo just an update so you are aware the terms update at Brightshare are retroactive. I have started the removal of all their brands as well from our sites. Roxy was removed last week.

I hope everyone can get involved in this because we need to stand up together against these companies!
Here is a response from Brightshare to Andrew at AGD...
Hi Andrew,

It’s Liyu here - the Support manager at BrightShare.
I’m monitoring Marcia’s inbox as unfortunately she is only partially available these days because of personal reasons, and I want to ensure a swift and full reply to your emails.

First, I’d like to ensure we are on the same page and as a matter of clarification, the general terms & conditions have come to affect as of yesterday (May 1st) - they apply to all existing deals and new deals to be signed. All earnings made until April 30th will not be affected and will be calculated based on the old terms and conditions.

As for the second point mentioned regarding the inactive rule – We are not removing commission, we will be paying the affiliate for all his players, always. However, when not brining any new player at all for 3 consecutive months or more, his revshare percentage for the month after will be set to 15% instead of 25%. In other words - It requires only one new player over a period of 3 months to be entitled to the standard plan percentage as before.

Please let me know if there is anything else we can assist or you need any further clarifications.
You can also write directly to me at liyul@brightshare.com
Regards,

Liyu Lu
BrightShare Support manager
liyul@brightshare.com
 
Think i got all there links removed from my sites.

Anyway i have a few spots to post articles about this, but not the time to write them, so if someone wants to write an article and include a link to the agd banning or anything let me know and i can get it up
 
I can also confirm that the Brightshare changes are retroactive and apply to the entire player base. In my stats, I see that I am now earning only 15% on all of the players I ever sent to them.

All because they couldn't convert any of the hundreds of visitors I sent to them in the last few months. (Meanwhile, conversions are just fine at many other places.)

This is not the way to treat a partner of 8 years.

Also worth noting is that Brightshare plans to pay for 2,500 lunches per day at the Amsterdam conference next month. If they can afford to spend thousands on travel expenses and on lunches for the conference attendees, they can certainly afford to pay everyone what they were promised years ago.
 
Just an update: Roxy has already gotten back to me and are looking at this situation. Brightshare hasn't yet, but I anticipate that they will soon.

I can understand making changes to their terms and conditions. But unless they negotiate an agreement with their affiliates, applying these changes retroactively is unacceptable.

I'll be reviewing this in depth on Monday.
 
Last edited:
Bryan, it's not good enough to be honest that they are still looking into this situation. They both after all made their decisions without even consulting us ( affiliates ) in the first place.

Roxy have visited this thread at least twice yesterday since you reactivated their forum account. They also have not responded here https://www.casinomeister.com/forums/threads/roxy-palace-not-paying-me.56676/. In addition they are stonewalling affiliates in their respective forums on the GPWA, AGD and also CAP.

In the case of Roxy they haven't even bothered updating their T & C's. They have just been shutting down affiliate accounts. Breaching their own T & C's as nothing is mentioned about terminating accounts due to lack of traffic or sign ups.
 
I have blacklisted Roxy Affiliates on Online Casino Reviewer and will be removing Roxy Palace from all my sites over the course of the next 24 hours. I will also be taking the same action against Brightshare and their properties, should a positive response and outcome not be forthcoming.

You do not have permission to view link Log in or register now.
 
Just an update: Roxy has already gotten back to me and are looking at this situation. Brightshare hasn't yet, but I anticipate that they will soon.

I can understand making changes to their terms and conditions. But unless they negotiate an agreement with their affiliates, applying these changes retroactively is unacceptable.

I'll be reviewing this in depth on Monday.

You should check wagershare too :D

They are far worse than Brightshare and Roxy combined
 
So, no one have nothing to say about WS :eek2:

Oh I have a LOT to say about Wagershare, how long have you got? Look at my signature for a start, then there is also this link here:

You do not have permission to view link Log in or register now.


If anything, Wagershare are far far far worse.

However, this thread is about the current changes made by Roxy Affiliates and Brightshare, so prob best to keep this thread on that track and discuss Wagershare in another thread.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Meister Ratings

Back
Top