What this new Non-Accredited Casino Discussions forum is, and isn’t.

[maxd]

As Casinomeister evolves some things change and this new forum is part of that. Non-Accredited casinos are now permitted to promote themselves IN THE DESIGNATED AREAS*** and obviously people — casino people and otherwise — will want to discuss issues related to those casinos, that’s what this new forum is for.

BE AWARE that these non-Accredited casinos have not been formally vetted by Casinomeister staff.
We have ensured that there is someone we can contact if there are problems but readers should not assume any more than that. Players must proceed with caution and are advised to take as little as possible for granted when it comes to trying these new casinos.

*** Non-Accredited Casino promotions belong here: Non-Accredited Casino Promotion Zone .
Exclusive Casinomeister promotions for Non-Accredited Casinos belong here: Non-Accredited Casino Exclusive Promotions .

Anything promotional from a Non-Accredited casino that is posted outside of those designated areas will be moved, without comment, to the proper place. Repeat offences will simply be deleted.

 

[geordiecolin]

Time moves on and so must all dedicated forums in order to survive and prosper. It is pointless to hark on about simpler times.
However I am feeling like an old fart who does not feel the need to keep up with the times by playing at crypto casinos or those that need to earn my trust.
I hope it all goes very smoothly

 

[jasonuk]

BE AWARE that these non-Accredited casinos have not been formally vetted by Casinomeister staff.
We have ensured that there is someone we can contact if there are problems but readers should not assume any more than that. Players must proceed with caution and are advised to take as little as possible for granted when it comes to trying these new casinos.

This needs to be a banner across the entire sub-forum then.

It is understandable that these sites are not vetted to the accredited standard - after all they are non-accredited.

I guess it comes back to my previous - and unanswered - question about due diligence and oversight. It is one thing for them not to be at the highest standard, but CM will - whether intentionally or not - give credibility to these sites, and that sounds like a potential problem in the making if there's no vetting at all.

 

[maxd]

This needs to be a banner across the entire sub-forum then.

Fair point, will do.

I guess it comes back to my previous - and unanswered - question about due diligence and oversight. It is one thing for them not to be at the highest standard, but CM will - whether intentionally or not - give credibility to these sites, and that sounds like a potential problem in the making if there's no vetting at all.

Yes, agreed, but that’s something that we’re just going to have to manage as best we can. To be blunt, bringing these casinos on was not optional, it’s something that comes to us from the new owners and TBF I see their point: they didn’t buy Casinomeister for altruistic reasons, it’s part of a portfolio of sites that are intended to turn a profit. These new casinos are part of that plan.

That said, we in the forum team — all original staff BTW — believe we can satisfy our corporate obligations (profit) and maintain Casinomeister’s core values (“fair play for all”). Time will tell if we’re correct, or are deluding ourselves.

- Max

 

[Webzcas]

In the main apart from when I am not about, I will be announcing any and all of the new casinos which get reviewed on Casinomeister.

You all have my word that with each casino being announced, I will identify and point out any areas of concern.

Additionally the comments from @maxd in the From the Desk of Max Drayman section are included at the top of each new review - This is a particular section I will bring to the forefront here on the forums, when announcing any newly reviewed and listed casino property.

To reiterate what Max has said directly above. All of the forum staff are still operating ( and will continue to do so ) with the core values of the site that Bryan put in place.

 

[dunover]

One positive here to bear in mind is the membership, possibly the ultimate safeguard if one were to be chosen. They will post both positive and negative experiences without restriction or hindrance (within the forum rules) and feedback will lead to a general nay or yay opinion regarding any specific site.

I understand the cause for concern created by taking this fork in the road but rest assured any rogue behaviour will be sanctioned as before. It's mutually benefical for these casinos/sites to cooperate within the CM framework for both the CM owners (ensuring sites' continued presence here and their resultant continued use of the CM portal and services) and the casinos themselves in that a good showing will grow their business and player base.

Yes, it's been a hard ask getting used to the idea but we have to move with the times. As we have witnessed with one infamous incident already, paying the fee doesn't give a site carte blanche to treat the place as their personal feifdom. Standards still apply and will apply!

 

[paul7388]

Let's face it new owners want to make money so obviously they want as many casinos advertised as possible.

But to be honest it's not new. For the last year or so there have been plenty of reviews for casinos that might not be great as some have already proven. Days of only having accredited casino reviews are long gone.

Bit that I'm interested in tho is the bit that says all these casinos will have Reps that will be available. Not sure how that will go as there's been plenty , and still some accredited casinos that the reps either have gone Awol or never came online for months on end.

 

[maxd]

Yes, the reps, very good point. The man behind the curtain — by which I mean us CM mods in conjunction with the Gentoo brass — have cleverly applied new and/or updated criteria to the casino categories (the numbers are there for the convenience of discussion):

1. The new casinos come on having license credentials (meaning they have one), presenting a rep, promising to have said rep active and available, and with a clean slate. The start their Casinomeister life in the Neutral Zone (NZ).
2. If they are part of a large casino group and we have a proven record of direct access to their central management then that serves as the rep and they get NZ status.
3. If the rep turns out to be AWOL much or all the time, they get demoted to Grey Zone (GZ).
4. If they lose their license they drop to Not Recommended (NR).
5. But, if we know them to be exceptional from years of experience having worked with them then they can stay out of NR regardless of their license status.
6. Casinos can achieve Accredited status through the BBF process and only through the BBF process. They can’t buy their way in. They can’t be opted in by us or anyone else. If there is no BBF on record then they aren’t Accredited, full stop. Sister casinos of Accredited casinos can have an abbreviated BBF (30 days instead of the standard 60).
7. Rogue Pit status can be reviewed upon request. If Gentoo can vouch for the casino then they have a 60 day probation. If Casino X just pops up from the muck and says “we want out!” then it’s 120 days probation. Failing probation means they stay in the Pit.

Unsurprisingly this is a work in progress and will very likely need tweaking as time goes on.

As to your particular point about Accred casinos with AWOL reps. Truth is their day of reconning will soon be upon us. We’re putting in place a mechanism where the Accred reps are going to be pinged on a random but regular basis. If the rep doesn’t step up — and they can’t or won’t offer a management contact to serve as rep — then the Accred status will be put under review. If they still can’t or won’t produce a reliable rep/contact then they’re going to lose their Accredited status. There’s not going to be much wiggle room there because Accred casinos have to prove they are worthy: no reliable contact is going to get them a “fail”.

Anyway, that’s a peek at the grand plan. “Work in progress”, “It’ll take time”, yadda yadda, but that’s the idea.

- Max

 

[Avernite]

I appreciate the thought that's gone into this.

As long as there are clear distinctions between Accredited and Non-Accredited casinos I don't have too much of a problem with this, but...

With Non-Accredited casinos now essentially getting advertising in this forum, are there any real clear advantages for becoming accredited anymore?

 

[maxd]

… With Non-Accredited casinos now essentially getting advertising in this forum, are there any real clear advantages for becoming accredited anymore?

That is a superb and difficult question! I think the bottom line is that our Accredited casino program needs an intervention: as things currently stand the benefits are vague and the incentives are feeble. There are a number of things we should be doing and many more that we could be doing, but all that takes time and as many of you may have observed we’ve been a little busy lately.

In the short term I think the primary benefit of Accreditation is that it gives us a way to unreservedly recommend the best and vetted casinos to players. It also gives the Accredited casino access to more of our forum resources — their own sub-forum for instance, more freedom to post and promote — and more access to us, the Casinomeister staff. If two casinos come to me, for instance, asking for assistance with an issue the Accredited casino is first in line. Ditto with any player issue that might come up, it’s Accred casino issues first and with higher priority. Finally, I have a good personal relationship with a number of the Accred casino reps and they always get first priority, it’s the Business Class of Casinomeister if you want to look at it that way.

For the near future we are cooking up a number of ways to put Accredited casinos front and centre in many of the things we push out to the readership. In the medium terms more promotional tools for the site are being discussed and those would always feature Accredited casinos first and more frequently. Sounding a big vague? Well, it kind of is at this point since we’ve been preoccupied with “mission critical” issues first, as one would expect.

Those that know Casinomeister are well aware that Bryan has stepped away and there are new priorities for Casinomeister in the wake of that. The non-Accred casino stuff is an excellent example, that has brought about new Sales initiatives and through that the completely new demands of having CM staff work with them on an ongoing basis in a manner that preserves and protects the Casinomeister ethos. But there are other important areas in flux too. Staffing for instance has been a big project for us recently, as has been the overall health of the player-facing side of the site.

In short, we’re in the middle of a major renovation and rejuvenation project all while maintaining the stability, integrity and forward motion that the Casinomeister readership expects of us. So yes, the Accred casinos do need and will get serious attention, but all in due course.

- Max

 

[SCATT3R]

Not sure if I'm in the right thread here but I read some discussion that appeared to conclude with how it was going to be some kind of disclaimer, or a "tread lightly" warning so to say, when it comes to the promotions of these non-accredited casinos (many of whom are of highly dubious reputation, I might add).

I must say, I really can't see it. In fact, all I see is superlatives. If you view my screen shot, this is how CM immediately greets me when I open the forum (I dont mean the ad, but look directly below)

 

[Webzcas]

You raise a good and salient point. Whilst this notice appears at the top of the Non Accredited Casino Exclusive Promotion Forum

It does not obviously at this moment in time appear at the top of any threads visited direct which are visited.

One I think we ( The Mod Team ) need to discuss in the morning.

 

[SCATT3R]

Ok, re-reading my post, I think it may have given another meaning than I intended. I often get lost when I try to explain something in English and forget to express my point. Come to think of it, this happens a lot in my native language too.

I didn't think the casino itself was in breach of anything. I was trying to view it from a forum visitor and potential casino player's view. He may have heard good things about CM, then looks up the forum, and then such posts are the first things he'll find. He's exposed to words like amazing, exclusive, best, instant cashouts, vip, younameit, and can then click directly into the thread, not even having to go via the subforum index, not seeing any warnings along the way, and from that point be left on his own with a potentially predatory casino.

Ok, I'll stop over-explaining now but I hope you will take this feedback into consideration

 

[Webzcas]

You made perfect sense, this time and also on your previous post ;-)

As said you have raised a very valid point. We will be discussing this today

 

[maxd]

Yeah, fair points and an issue we are aware of. Truth is this is a work in progress and the non-Accred casinos have not yet been removed from the “New Amazing Posts” section because it is a bit complicated to do so. Still in the works, it’ll happen soon, but not there yet.

- Max