EMG Affiliates (infernobet etc.) Something Badly Wrong? - UNRESOLVED

[payme1day]

This is a programme I joined relatively recently. They cover InfernoBet, Maple Bet, 2KBet, BazingaBet, Play Casino Games and Mad About Slots.

Made some decent commission in June, checked their terms, one of those annoying programmes with 60-day payment delay after the end of the month commission was made. So should have been paid my first-ever money by about 30 August.

Needless to say no payment was forthcoming - now a few days late is nothing drastic as of this point in time, but I went to log into my account to see the status and oh dear! Their splash page is still there but if you try the log-in button or join button their server's IP address cannot be found and this has been several days now.

Unfortunately it's highly likely it seems they have disappeared into the ether and will not be paying affiliates, that's the logical concusion here. Accounts cannot be accessed and if you promote sites via the EMG Affiliate programme I would recommend removing them ASAP. Naturally, the casinos are all still operating by all accounts...

 

[MissExposé]

Please note we don't have EMG Affiliates listed on AGD forum.
However, we can try to assist you in this matter. Please PM me your affiliate account details (I've sent you a PM).

 

[payme1day]

Thanks.

 

[MissExposé]

Thanks for sending your account details.
We sent an email and asked for updates on your case. Keep you posted.

 

[payme1day]

I don't think you'll have any luck getting a response, seems like yet another fly-by-night cowboy outfit that's done a runner with our money.

 

[Conft]

I'd advise against working with Progressplay brands, they may convert well initially because they're "new" brands but I find retention is shocking.

 

[payme1day]

I'd advise against working with Progressplay brands, they may convert well initially because they're "new" brands but I find retention is shocking.

Agreed, same as Jumpman.

 

[MissExposé]

No response so far, we just sent a reminder email.

 

[payme1day]

No response so far, we just sent a reminder email.

Thanks, but they've simply vanished, aff. accounts still 404 and not accessible. I don't think there's a lot you can do, I've written it off and added the amount to my running unpaid/scammed list.

 

[Gambling Affiliation]

Guys, EMG is under liquidation since end of august. They owe a lot to many affiliates. Mike Grundy is the guy behing EMG affiliate and is also the guys running the operators through Progressplay. What is totally unacceptable is that the operators are still up and running so they are most probably making money but still they will just vanish with all the profit made thanks the the Affiliates. Progressplay has a responsability here as they know very well the situation but still are keeping the service to Grundy up and running. We are taking legal action with our lawyer about this case, anyone interested to join, please contact us.
Regards

 

[payme1day]

Like Genesis affiliates, there's not one word of communication to their partners.

I was right then - EMG have simply defrauded their affiliates and run off into the sunset.

The worst kind of operators. I will now set about removing ALL Progress Play casinos from my pages, even those under other progrmames.

 

[MissExposé]

@payme1day unfortunately, we don't have updates, no response to the emails we sent. Just sent one more email in the hope we will get an answer soon.

 

[payme1day]

@payme1day unfortunately, we don't have updates, no response to the emails we sent. Just sent one more email in the hope we will get an answer soon.

Thanks for your efforts but sadly this affiliate group was clearly set up to recruit players then not pay for them when the casinos were up and running. This buy-then-fly scam has been seen before and no doubt will again sadly. Just need people reading this to know Grace Media/Progress Play need keeping a very sharp eye on regarding ALL their aff. programmes.

I've written the money off and put it down to experience. It was only £240 but it's still annoying.

They've run off into the sunset with bad debts, apparently (very conveniently!) the EMG aff. prog. is liquidated so there will be absolutely NO attempt by them or their casinos to pay up or even communicate with anyone, including you.

But again, thanks for trying.

 

[Conft]

Going to see if I can find out more on Mike Grundy, but;

Michael GRUNDY personal appointments - Find and update company information - GOV.UK

Free company information from Companies House including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business activity

find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk

Here is his company information profile

Web Maintenance Service - Pixelaar FZC LLC

We are helping comapnies to maintain their web sites , server , support and live chat. We are also helping businesses across the globe to improve the performance and security of their websites.

pixelaar.com

And this is his company based in the UAE.

 

[payme1day]

Crikey - they've ripped some affs off big time! This is in the public domain (link provided above) so I can post this presumably.
P.S. Notice how they've failed to submit the legally required accounts before liquidation, they are overdue - this is a way to hide where the cash they should have paid affiliates with went and how the company was spending its receipts, no doubt irresponsibly.

Gambling Affiliation Ltd. £90,000+
Slotcatalog £800+
A

 

[payme1day]

It's a pretty easy scam for an operator to do - it works like this:

Keep the operator and affiliate businesses separate and have the aff business invoice the operator business for management fees to the full amount of aff earnings. There's no other actual revenue in the aff business if you think about it, so they can just stop invoicing the operator business, declare insolvency and there's naturally no money at all in the affiliate business left to pay partners. Those very partners whose NDPs have got the operator business going.

Of course, make it look good and cover your ar*e by declaring the affiliate business owner/director as an unpaid creditor too (as indeed they have to the tune of 25k if you check the company house link above) and finally wrap it up by not submitting the required accounts which would obviously expose what's gone on an who to/where the money has gone. There is little chance of repercussions under company law as the business has declared insolvency which seems to waive the accounts requirement.

So affiliates, that's how the scam works!

 

[Conft]

Yep and it seems like Progressplay don't care, I removed all Progressplay brands from my site this week, I had some old ones that weren't converting that well anyway.

 

[MissExposé]

@payme1day No response so far. We will mark this case unresolved, but if do receive a response we will update the thread and assist further.
Please if you get some updates, let us know.

 

[payme1day]

@payme1day No response so far. We will mark this case unresolved, but if do receive a response we will update the thread and assist further.
Please if you get some updates, let us know.

Will do, thanks but as I said it's absolutely hopeless, company is liquidated and no accounts submitted to Companies House to give an idea of where the affiliate money went and why they weren't paid. Sadly, a buy-and-fly scam.