I am in a very different situation than most, but I have a lot of contact with many of my players. My site started as a print magazine, so we had a devoted readership, and contact with many readers. We have a forum, and I encourage players to email me all the time to let me know how they like or dislike a casino. Once I open that dialogue I strive to keep it open.
That said, I find that on the whole things track pretty well with what the players tell me. I have had some problems which some day I will talk about in the private forum. But players will play for a month and then quit a casino. Why? Here are some of the main reasons.
1. They think the casino is not lucky for them.
2. Slow Cashouts! And they get dicked around when trying to cash out. This could be an entire thread but just a couple examples–Casino Rewards requires them to send a screenshot of their Neteller account! (Come on Ryan.) Profitshare puts the money back in their account, and says they didn’t meet the wagering when they deposited without a bonus. It takes many phone calls & weeks to get the withdrawal, and they get really pissed when they decide to just play and lose the money back.
3. Bad customer service. (See numerous threads about Belle Rock at Casinomeister.)
What do you consider a whale?
I have much more to say on this and will post again when I get more time.