Well, it's a given that seals can be expensive, and you get what you pay for as a service. eCOGRA btw is non-profit organization:
I realise y'all were discussing the actual seals gaming sites display, but just thought I'd mention my poker affiliate site is actually displaying an eCOGRA Reputable Portal tick having complied with the criteria for displaying it. But I'm strongly considering removing it as, I think AussieDave or someone already pointed out, that 'reputable' list is literally littered with the worst kind of affiliates and the eCOGRA Tick is all but worthless I fear.
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I mean, the stuff on that eCOGRA Reputable Portal popup is just a complete lie. I don't think they did an
extensive audit on my site [which I would welcome, ofc], I think I got a form email response to my application and an attached eCOGRA tick to insert.
And it simply doesn't get more rogue than advertising rogues like Virtual and others - as some of the eCOGRA 'Reputable' Portals so obviously do. And clearly there have been complaints made without any response, let alone action, let alone within 48 hours. :facepalm
Also, I know people who have complained to eCOGRA about the CasinoRewards spam [honestly, I think people make too big a fuss about spam - even if spam gets through my filter, it's merely one or two clicks and it's gone] emails which actually blatantly lie to players telling them Lie 1) They've been 'lucky' to have been selected to receive....Lie 2) $1500 cash
What absolute garbage. Players get some free play with effectively worthless chips, and *if* they win, the
max they can cash out is a 100
bonus which they then have to deposit just to request it be added before a large playthrough on Slots is applied to both the deposit and bonus. It's a ridiculous joke. And it's sad that CasinoRewards are allowed to get away with this kind of spam campaign by eCOGRA.
Whilst I don't doubt eCOGRA does some definite good, they seem to just be like so many others who blur the line between good and bad - often to the point where it becomes unrecognisable [if they are 'good' or 'bad']. And many defend such grey types by arguing "well the good outweighs the bad". I'm not sure that it does, actually. There is rogue behaviour which is despicable, no doubt - but sometimes I wonder if it isn't true that hypocritical or deceiving rogue behaviour [whilst flying the banner of ethics - as eCOGRA ostensibly does, by their very existence] is perhaps the worst of all the rogue? I wonder sometimes, in any case...
There is a successful and common scam in Manila where a social, funny local befriends a Westerner [who is initially wary, of course] and over a period of time the social funny chap proves his integrity beyond all possible doubt. He never steals, though he might give you advice on not trusting the locals by doing whatever it was that he *could* have taken advantage of but didn't [which makes the Westerner trust him even more, obviously], he always pays for little bills here and there [even to the point where it's over the top], he always offers favours and asks for nothing in return and so on and so on [I think you get the idea - basically, the Westerner thinks "this guy is a champion!!"]
Then comes the sting. And the sting is carried out in such a way that most Westerners don't even put 2 + 2 together and realise they've been setup indirectly by their champion local 'friend'. A 3rd party is introduced at some point who is recommended wholeheartedly as being an all-round top fellow, trust-worthy, and so on. The 3rd party initially behaves just like his friend, in case the Westerner has any wary left. But then the 3rd party [via a range of very cheeky levels of scams] will burn the Westerner for as much as they can. Then when the scam is discovered, the Westerner's local 'friend' shows great compassion / sympathy, only then revealing that he, also, had been burned by that 3rd party for a large amount but hates speaking ill of anyone / is not the type for conflict / etc and so on.
It's probably the most brilliant scam I've ever seen in operation. Because who can steal more from you? A stranger or your friend?
But wouldn't you be more angry at your friend? If both stole from you, or your friend recommended the thieving stranger to you?
I dare say you would.
However the industry has the same mentality as affiliates that promote rogues "don't tell me how to run my business".
Until the good guys in this industry form an alliance to combat the crap by running the outlaws out of Dodge, it will be the players; the life blood of the industry, who will continue to pay the price.
Dave, I do like your posts and their overall sentiment. But the primary reason they don't listen to you is that they realise that being unethical is so
vastly more profitable than being ethical. Even being a tiny bit sneaky unethical, every second intentionally delayed on cashing out a player whilst their winnings sit there tantalizingly for them to lose back, every cheeky little trick that I would list in further depth were it not for the fear a casino operator would read it and think "oh goody, hadn't yet thought of that one!" and start applying it....every tiny little unethical thing translates into exponentially larger profits. There is no real answer, not right now in any case. Perhaps when education increases over time, maybe in a couple decades or so...but until then it's slaughter season and we are the livestock unfortunately.
32Red - and the cost of being ethical. See below:
Before anyone jumps in with the obvious and points out things have been dropping ever since UIGEA, that is - of course - part of the point I'm making. Why in god's name would any rogue embrace regulation? The UIGEA was the greatest thing to happen for crooks / rogues in the history of the industry.
But don't get me started on the stupidity / shooting oneself in the foot that is Prohibition...omg. There is retardation in this world that is too much for me to process, and Prohibition falls into that basket.
