Trust is an essential component of the affiliate partner and operator relationship. So when an affiliate program betrays that trust and earns a rogue label, coming back into the fold isn’t easy.
It takes a commitment to not only clean up dirty practices, but to resolve outstanding issues, too. That’s the pledge that IntPar (formerly Integra Partners) is making to CAP; and that’s why, after a thorough review, they’re being removed from the CAP Rogue List.
Background
Integra Partners operated the Grand Duke Casino out of Malta and had a terrible reputation amongst players and affiliates.
On the affiliate forums, partners regularly posted threads complaining of late payments, missed payments, regular spam and unanswered e-mails. Affiliates were particularly peeved to receive spam on their personal e-mail accounts from Integra employees.
While the company’s affiliate reputation was bad, it was their reputation with players that helped cement their rogue status on sites like CAP, GPWA, PokerAffiliateListing and CasinoMeister.
Players complained of T&C fine print that made collecting payouts tough. One clause that drew particular criticism limited players who only played on type of game from collecting their winnings. A sharp poker player would be forced to play a few hands of blackjack or a couple rolls of the dice before cashing out. (Think this would work at Caesars Palace?)
This behavior earned them a worst casino designation from CasinoMeister in both 2009 and 2011.
Tackling Doubt
In short, Integra Partners was a textbook rogue. So it’s no surprise that the company’s new owners have met with skepticism from players and affiliates.
Here’s how a forum poster on CasinoMeister called Przecinek reacted to news that Grand Duke was being removed from the Rogue Pit.
I’m not interested in being guinea pig on this one … you don’t get “Worst Casino of 2011” by accident.
That’s the mentality the new owners of Integra Partners are up against, but they’re making real efforts to rectify the previous ownerships’ misdeeds.
In that same CasinoMeister thread, IntPar’s Christine Lamain points out that the new ownership had addressed the outstanding player issues before taking control of the company.
Before purchasing the Grand Duke brand, due diligence has been taken place revealing that no outstanding issues and liabilities towards players existed. There were no pending claims filed with LGA.
Winning Back Affiliates and Players
InterPar’s new owners have specifically addressed most, if not all, of the outstanding issues from the previous ownership. Here’s a sampling of the moves they’ve made:
- Introduced a new T&C for players that’s removed predatory language, including the multiple game cash out clause.
- Joined the GPWA and will be abiding by their guidelines for casino best practices.
- Working with GPWA to insure that each individual player concern is addressed to their satisfaction. (Something Lamain says is now completed.)
- Openly addressing all issues in forums and in private e-mail correspondence with affiliate advocacy groups like CAP.
- Adding a more advanced, transparent affiliate back-end for better player tracking.
The Final Word
After thoroughly reviewing the situation, CAP staff members feel comfortable lifting IntPar/Integra Partners rogue designation. They seem sincere in their desire to move forward from past wrongs and are backing those efforts with concrete actions.
Of course no program gets a free ride. We encourage anyone who has dealings, positive or negative, with the new owners and affiliate managers to discuss their experiences on our forums. Transparency and trust are the lifeblood of this industry and companies that live by those values are always worth working with.
How comfortable are you working with affiliate programs that are fresh off of the rogue list? Share your thoughts on our Casino Affiliate Scams & Warnings Forum.