That seems to be the gist of what our CAP readers told us recently on our forum thread, Ahhh…the Good Old Days! What Do You Miss Most? Here’s some of what they had to say about that particular subject.
Affiliate Schwag and Perks
Before Black Friday in 2011 and the economic crash of 2008 affiliate managers were able to provide some pretty sweet perks to their affiliate partners, including lavish junkets and othe trips. Here’s how a CAP reader called IslandMaan remembers it:
I miss the days when Affiliate managers would arrange special trips to bring together their top performing affiliates on a special full day trip…These trips were so helpful in cementing good relationships with not only the Aff programs but also other affiliates. These trips were far more beneficial and fun than any trade show I have been too.
Bonustreak chimes and adds that maybe it’s a good thing those days are gone:
I miss the wicked parties we use to have but to be honest maybe those crazy times coming to an end is a good thing for my health.
It sounds like a small thing, but more than one old-timer, like CCJ, recalled that affiliate operators used to give Christmas gifts to their partners:
Remember how generous the affiliate programs used to be with gifts at Christmas time not to mention all the competitions they used to have.
Affiliate Manager Relationships
Beyond the material aspects, a lot of CAP readers miss the one-on-one relationships that they had with affiliate managers who seemed to really care. That’s what Bonustreak noticed:
Affiliate managers have changed as well most cannot be bothered to mail affiliates, send out promos I am surprised they can even make good business with the new work standards that seems to be happening as of late. If you cannot bother to talk to me, I will not chase you down!
Arkyt also noted that the business isn’t quite as down home and friendly as it once was:
If I could turn back the clock to those days I’d still be living high on the hog instead of living in its slop. Back then I’d guess we likely got shaved 5-15% these days its more like 85-100% and sadly you can’t trust half the people you once could!
The Good Old Days Aren’t Gone Forever
While plenty of the reminiscing on this thread was bittersweet, at least one poster had some hope for the future. Here’s Michaela26’s take nostalgia:
I’ll always remember and miss the good old days, and I will approach the future with the same enthusiasm that I had back then. Even though things are a bit harder now, the industry is far from dead.
With the legal online poker and, possibly, legal sports betting on the horizon for the US, there’s always a chance that the good old days could come back.
What are your memories of iGaming’s good old days? Share them with the CAP Community on our Good Old Days Thread.