whs-web:
I did not receive a reply from Best Casino Partner with respect to my demand for payment. To be truthful, I did not expect one. So, now we take the next step. Contacting an attorney to see if I can find one who will take the case.
Dom:
I called Larry Walters’ office. No sooner did I get Best Casino Partner out of my mouth then I was told that they cannot represent me. It seems they represent most of the casinos with respect to first amendment issues amongst others her in the USA. When I asked for a referral to another attorney with whom I might consult, I was told that they knew of no one and suggested I contact the Texas Bar Association. Not quite the response I was looking for, and not very helpful.
I then googled Nelson Rose and found his website. It seems you can only reach this guy via email. So, I fired on off to him last week and have yet to receive a reply.
A friend of mine tells me he searched for attorneys who specialize in online gambling and could not find anyone other than the two mentioned above.
So, where does this leave me? Looking for an attorney and filing complaints with anyone I can, I suppose. I will carry on. That much is certain. A number of current and former affiliate managers and several affiliates have contacted me with tips and suggestions. To these people, I offer my gratitude for your support. Thank you.
I must confess, however, that I feel very alone in this fight to get paid for services provided. And this is very disappointing to me. My thoughts had been that many others have not been paid as well. Surely there would have been a greater outcry and call to arms than what I have witnessed. To me this does not bode well for the future of this industry as I feel that inaction by affiliates at this time will only embolden other operators to treat us the same way when faced with similar circumstances in the future.
It has been suggested to me by those that I feel are more plugged into this business than I, that Best Casino Partner and/or the casinos they represent are pulling a “Grand Prive”. Having made real good money for a number of years, when faced with a loss of funds due to a processor stealing from them, they feel it is easier and more profitable to not pay affiliates and run the casinos with their existing player base. Once operations tail off, they can open a new brand under a new ownership structure. Could be true I suppose.
What of our supposed advocates? CAP, GPWA and AGD? They organizations that are looking out for the interests of affiliates? Other than a weak discussion of who gets paid in bankruptcy by Michael Corfman, not much really. You would think the number one priority of these organizations would be to ensure that affiliates got paid. Industry news updates and polls are nice, but, they pale in comparison.
All three organizations have made very good money over a number of years on the backs of affiliates. They have essentially sold access to affiliates. You would think an organization that was really looking out for affiliates would have set aside a portion of those revenues to create a legal fund should it ever be needed to help us in our time of need. Especially since their are already several precedents of this kind of behavior by operators. That they would take the lead in these cases and allow affiliates with far fewer resources at their disposal to join in.
You would further think that these organizations would be filing complaints with the software provider, the Gaming Board or other agency tasked with the oversight of gaming licenses in the countries the casinos are licensed in and the same agencies in every country the operate in. And then, provide us affiliates the contact information so that we could approach these agencies and lodge our own complaints as well. They should be rallying us all into a common cause that is both purposeful and swift. To show affiliate programs and casino operators that they must honor the commitments and contracts they have made and cannot cut and run, leaving affiliates unpaid monies they are owed for the time and money they spent promoting their brands. Instead, I am left to find this information myself. And I will.
I have to be honest, it appears that these organizations are nothing more than profit centers for their owners. And each one of us affiliates another potential revenue stream. I know that these are harsh words. But, where have you guys been hiding?
Further, if operators can just shut their doors and not pay us, then this is no longer a viable business. Spending time and money via ppc or seo to maybe get paid is not a business plan, it is gambling.
I know that this may very well rub some of you the wrong way. And, I am sorry for that. There really is no other choice for me than to take this thing as far as I can. Otherwise, how do you look at yourself in the mirror every morning knowing that you did not do everything possible to get paid. If any of you are able to provide me with assistance, I would be extremely grateful.