Time To Form an Affiliates Union!

[Aussie-Dave]

The catalyst for this thread stems from:
https:// www. affiliateguarddog. com/forums/alert-stop-promoting-playshare-partners-t1443.html#post7980

---------

Hi all,

Those of you who know me, should know that I'll raise my hand and be counted if it's a genuine cause. Especially when its to protect the interests of the under dog (no pun intended).

Having been a casino webmaster way longer than I care to remember, I've seen more and more instances of affiliate program clauses being change retroactively in the last 2 - 3 years that ever before.

It's not my intention to point fingers and anyone or any groups.

But I will comment that although the GPWA had some problems when Sly was at the helm, private membership on a whole was united when issues like these came to their attention.

One of the more famous Unions (a film was made on them) was that of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

Read about this here:
Encyclopedia of U.S. labor and ... - Google Books

I see that we as gambling affiliate webmasters have a common cause similar to those of the IBT and why we should also look at forming a Union.

Right now affiliate programs can (and do) at a drop of a hat change our agreement contracts and we as affiliates can't do jack about it.

Sure we can yank banners and run around like headless chooks posting our disconcert about unfair changes to our Affiliate Contracts. But really without a concentrated front, a 1 for all, all for 1 stance, nothing really changes.

And we just get screwed over by the next Aff program that decides to do the same thing.

People seem to get rather narky when they ask (or even expect) affiliates to just yank an affiliate program from their site(s).

Unfortunately this type of action these days is flawed because most affiliates rely on this income; it keeps food on their table; bills paid; and the wolf from their doors.

However if there was an affiliate Union & this Union held the support of affiliate webmaster members, issues such as these could be addressed on a united front.

To me a Union represents organisation. It allows the little guy to have the power to stand up to the Bullies and say...Hey this is NOT acceptable!

It gives a united voice to gambling affiliates and it helps to protect our livelihoods.

Reiterating...I don't see any point in just pulling banners willy nilly. That doesn't issue any message to an affiliate program. In fact I'm sure most just laugh!

However...by forming a Union we can stand as a group, we can issue ultimatums because we have the numbers and that's what people these days will listen to.

20 webmaster pulling banners ain't going to do jack. But 100, 300 or more doing the exact same thing...It will affect the Affiliate Programs bottom $ line and they will take notice.

Anyway I don't see things changing for the better for us as affiliates if we don't all band together and start fighting these issues as ONE Group!


Cheers



Dave

 

[Guard Dog]

You could be right, Dave.

I will have to say that AGD has had about 80-90% of the terms changed that were retroactive. So - while we are not unionized, we have helped to get unsavory terms removed and many retroactive terms stricken.

It is always difficult rallying troops when income relies on a specific group. But - putting Playshare and Roxy in the predatory division will surely help stop future affiliates from placing trust in organizations that are willing to chop affiliate income without warning. It is a small win so far, but becomes a much larger win if affiliates rally behind the call.

Again - I don't expect everyone to drop banners 'willy nilly' I like that term, BTW. But I hope it, at the very least, helps affiliates understand how this term was placed into the contract without consult and applied retroactively. Income WILL be lost by the affiliate in this clause.

Had they fenced the player IMMEDIATELY, the call to arms would not have taken place. Both groups are aware of that, though.

 

[slotplayer]

I op'd about a union a couple of years ago over at CAP and I took quite a bit of heat over it. I saw the need for organizing back then just as everyone sees it now.

 

[tryme1]

I kinda agree with the idea, but the single most critical point is this : while we as established affiliates can boycott a program, what do we do about people new to the industry?

It's no good 50, 100, 200 high level affiliates leaving a program; if that program picks up 300-400 new affiliates of varying abilities.

And you have to keep in mind that, while we can flood the SERPs with stuff saying 'don't promote x or y', we need a proactive, compelling approach whereby we reach out to new affiliates and say - you might want to be aware of such and such.

This, of course, needs to be done without libeling or slandering a program. If we could make this a secondary focus of some kind of affiliate lobbying body (lets' not use the term 'union'), then we can both pressurise programs and reach out to new blood.

This is all a long way of saying : I'm in.

 

[triple777s]

The way I look at it, any new affiliates that actually agree to these new terms and conditions, deserve what they get. We need to concentrate on old affiliates and our rights, which are now being changed at a drop of a dime.

If we decided to change the T&C's of a contract and started spamming, misusing marketing material, cheating..etc....then why can't we? Because we are bound by a contract that we agreed to when signing with a program....well these programs need to be held to the same T&C's that were drawn up when we formed our partnership just as we do!

They are not....period.....and bad mouthing them, rouging them..etc...does nothing at all. Its not hurting them, they could careless.....something needs to be done legally or monetary wise to make a difference. Why don't we all get together and start up a entire website called....Unsafe Online Casinos...and use it to warn all online gamblers of these programs we as "expert" online casino authorities deem unsafe and thiefs....we could link the shit out of it to get it number one on google..etc......it may not be much but it would make a difference in the pockets of these casinos..and make them think about what they do before actually doing it....????

 

[Aussie-Dave]

Hi All,

Right now we have no recourse.

The webmasters that are really affected by these retrospectively clause(s) are those that have been in the business for a while. The ones who have built their business on the foundation of these contracts.

I know we've heard all this before & nothing gets done. But to move a mountain one needs to take the first step!

Right now that step is in the form of affiliates making a commitment to band together for the common good of all our interests.

Otherwise I can honestly see this as a starting point and open invitation to other programs to follow suit.

Imagine every program we promote changing our contractual agreements in line with those of Playshare Group, Roxy and Vegas Affiliates.

Hell at that point you may as well look for another income source because the industry as we know it will fail to exists.

If your OK with this then that's your choose.

I'm not and I hope that majority of my peers are also NOT OK with this either.

I believe once we have each others backs on this then we can move onto dealing with these issues. But until we have a united front, we're merely blowing hot air - and we all know that we will eventually be back at square one again.

So who is with me?


Cheers



Dave

 

[dominique]

I principally agree. But I see issues on the horizon - people never agree on things. As a Union it means we all have to act the same way.

So the Union calls a boycott - and Joe Blow would lose all his income if he followed the boycott.

Or Jane Doe believes in the sincerity and friendship of the affmanager and doesn't get it that he's powerless over the operator.

Whenever someone calls for a boycott we get a lot of people with reasons why they don't want to do it.

So as long as it is that way, how can we get cohesion in a union?

Most affiliates are in it because they like the freedom. Now someone (the Union) tells you how to run your sites...

In an ideal world we would all band together, but I am not sure it can be done here.

Maybe a poll? On all the affilate message boards?

 

[Mark]

I feel like the affiliate forums hold quite a bit of weight in terms of getting things going their way in terms of affiliate programs. For instance, when an affiliate program posts terms that are unfriendly, AGD and other affiliates post on forums. When the word gets out, affiliates respond by not promoting those programs.

So far that has proven powerful but I'm not sure every affiliate follows suit.

Mark

 

[WCD Admin]

I feel like the affiliate forums hold quite a bit of weight in terms of getting things going their way in terms of affiliate programs. For instance, when an affiliate program posts terms that are unfriendly, AGD and other affiliates post on forums. When the word gets out, affiliates respond by not promoting those programs.

It's not working though.

---

I've brought up the "union" idea before and quickly got the slap down in the past, maybe affiliates are finally waking up to the idea that the programs are not necessarily your friend. I'll support the idea, thanks Aussie Dave

 

[dominique]

Well what we can do is post a web-wide poll on all affiliate boards we can reach and see the reaction.

Then we can tally up yays and nays and see where we stand with the idea...

I thought about this off and on over the years, and most recently when GAP was formed..

 

[triple777s]

One more thing...

A lot of talk and concentration is being put on the "high roller" terms, with playshare, star partner, Roxy, and thats good, its needs to be taken care of, but other programs are also screwing with us, and this one effects me more than the highroller issue, and probably alot of other smaller affiliates, and that this "new player quota" crap.....I can not believe they think we are going to just sit back and let them drop us from 30% , 25% down to 10% if no new player quota is reached, if they would learn how to attract players better and give us better material to use to promote them, MAYBE THEY WOULD GET NEW DAMN PLAYERS!!!!! I am sick and tired of programs blaming affiliates for lack of business....If they had a "good" business, or gave better offers without crappy terms and conditions for players...maybe new ones would signup! Stop blaming the affilaites for the lack of interest in thier programs.....