Hi Tom,
let’s see if I can suggest possible answers with your questions.
1/ What is a “whale” ?
A whale is just an experienced player that deposits and bets big. Whales go all the way up in size – and I’ve seen a Russian sports punter regularly bet 100K (!!) on a sports event !
But a whale is just the name for a player who dominates your stats. Once you get 10-20 players at a site you will recognise that you’re profits/losses come mainly from 1 or 2 main players. When you get 100-200 players then it balances out again – unless you get that Russian guy!
2/ Do players leave sizable balances in accounts?
Well – I do. I have accounts at 10 sites (mainly sports betting) and I keep a 4 figure balance on hand at most sites in order to take advantage of good betting oddss if I find them. Looking at my stats many other players are the same.
3/ Active zero balances
Yes – I would expect these are people with access to quick deposit methods – that prefer to keep their cash close. It is a slightly negative issue – because it suggests that they still do not quite “trust” the site – or that the site is not one of their “preferred places to play” yet.
It’s good that they come back and play … but it’s bad that they keep going back to zero.
But these views are just one affiliates view (MINE) – I am sure that other readers have different views and experiences – and hopefully they will join in and share their ideas too!