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Don’t think we are out of the woods yet. We still don’t know. There are all these back room deals that take place in DC. We hear things, sometimes they are true. Sometimes that are not. Sometimes the tide changes and positions change.
As for tracking this stuff on line, it is always 1-3 days late. It is the government. They don’t turn out information on a dime. The only way to get up to the minute info is to talk with insiders.
Again, the news looks good, but we won’t know until we actually see the Senate meet and vote on the bill. Usually they debate on C-SPAN and confirm what riders are attached to the bill (if any).
I remember the Patriot Act of 2001. The morning of the vote, some Senator on the floor mentioned they removed the iGaming rider. I saw this on C-SPAN and remember screaming (YEEEEAAAAHHHH!!!!) . Otherwise, the industry had not a clue that it was removed. Apparently, it was removed the night before in back room deals. The final text of the bill didn’t show up on the net for about 3 days.
Marc Lesnick
Conference Organizer
http://www.casinoaffiliateconvention.comThank you Marc for keeping us updated on this issue. I do agree with all you said in the earlier post about this being a wake up call for all in the industry.
It worked !!! We bought time!!
“Bold Lobbying Reform Stalled in Congress”
By JIM ABRAMS
The Associated Press
From the Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/13/AR2006031300113.htmlBasically, the Senate and the House want their cake and eat it too. They don’t want to rush into lobbying reform because then they cn’t get thier sweet perks they’ve been so used to. So They delayed it, hoping the heat will die down.
So its back to the drawing board for the online gambling legislation. What’s great this time is that WE BOUGHT TIME. Now the industry will lobby harder. Morgan Stanley showed that Wall Street has an interest and this industry is now too large to be ignored or banned.
Buying us time allows for much stronger igaming lobby that should table any of these ridiculous bills.
Again, a HUGE wake up call for the industry. You as affiliates NEED to diversify your revenue streams. This is great for you because now you have TIME to build other businesses.
Something to think about…….See you all in Amsterdam
Marc Lesnick
Conference Organizer
Casino Affiliate Convention
http://www.cac2006.com
April 9-10, 2006
AmsterdamYork,
While I agree that this is a short-term delay, which can only help the cause, what’s to say that the anti-gambling legislation isn’t re-introduced in the House as a standalone bill, since the amendment-bill method didn’t work here ?
It doesn’t need to be re-introduced, its still on the agenda.
The point is that a bill on its own is VERY hard to get through congress and the senate. I tried looking for the number on the net (if anyone sees it please post). There are a tremendous amount of bills submitted before Congress. Few make it.
Imagine a sperm trying to fertilize an egg, now you got the picture
So the Gambling Bill on its own is much harder to get through than attaching it as a rider on a bill that everyone knows will pass. That’s how congress works; everyone with their mini-agenda’s try and attach riders on the big bills.
And, since we bought time, the industry will now lobby harder, which should make it near impossible for DC to pass one of these bills.
This is not guaranteed…Imagine if the result was different. If today they passed the bill and your site got filtered out by every ISP in America (almost sounds like the X-men movie
) That’s why you need to diversify. Having time allows you to build up those other businesses.Marc Lesnick
Conference Organizer
Casino Affiliate Convention
http://www.cac2006.com
April 9-10, 2006
AmsterdamGood.
Moving right along.
OK, York, I see your point. In regards to diversification, I agree. The more industries you are in, the better. However, I equate the banning of online gambling to being the same as the banning of Alcohol, Tobacco, or Porn. It just ain’t gonna happen that easily. I’ve been diversified for a while now, and I must admiit, there are no margins as good as the gambling industry online. This is (currently) a gold mine, and none of my other non-gambling businesses come close to the profit I make with gambling stuff. Not to say it isn’t possible, but I’ve been trying for a while.
Thanks for your update today.
There are other niche affiliate business which make alot of money. I know of several superaffiliates that tell me they make a bundle from other promotions.
Years ago, it was distance learning (online degrees). I imagine that is now played out.
I know of an affiliate that made more on online Pharma in 2002 than he did in online gambling. Again, I think this market is played out.
Some affiliates are making fortunes today in Europe promoting mobile applications. The point here is it is NEW.
Get in on the ground floor things that are NEW. Its easier than trying to get into an existing market with gobs of affiliates to compete with.
That’s the trick…Its not easy.
I do the same thing with my business. In one project I was looking at, I missed the timing of it by 6 months. Had I picked up on it and done it, I would be the King of that business. Someone else jumped on it.
Find new stuff. Review the best one. Get in early and win.
Marc Lesnick
Conference Organizer
Casino Affiliate Convention
http://www.cac2006.com
April 9-10, 2006
AmsterdamMarc why are you pushing affiliates to other industries rather than rally the group to fight for our own industry. Are you trying to get more into your dating aff programs or some others? I thought gaming was your top biz?
Brian
islandman….’rally the group to fight for our own industry?’ Think about that for a second.
This whole thread is about MONEY, influence and Washington. Affiliates do not have the MONEY to lobby! Do you actually think that affiliates can influence the Senate and the House? Affiliates ….. influence the Senate and the House? What??? I live on planet Earth. Or at least I like to think so.
As for Online Dating, that is the LAST thing I would recommend casino affiliates to get into. Compared to gaming, its not even worth your time. There ARE industries to diversify into that produce some serious coin for affiliates. They are generally niche and new. Affiliates should look at them. Dating is not new. Nor is online Pharma. I run conferences for both industries. Guess what bud? I’m not promoting them here. You can scratch that theory.
I decided to make Online Pharma and Online Dating conferences to DIVERSIFY. I made that decision several years ago. Some of the diversification paid off. Some didn’t.
This was a WAKE UP CALL. Any affiliate that decides to stick his or her head back into the sand and do nothing but promote online casinos without looking at other business alternatives will have NO ONE to blame if we go through this again and Washington is successful. This was a threat for many to lose ALL income. I repeat, ALL income. That is cold water in the face for many.
Prudence demands that affiliates diversify. Anyone and this stage who ignores this principle is myopic and may set themselves up for a financial greek tragedy. Even the Professor has diversified.
Marc Lesnick
Conference Organizer
Casino Affiliate Convention
http://www.cac2006.com
April 9-10, 2006
Amsterdamouch,,,
what is the next step ? Is this the same bill that we have been discussing all along ?
Well, my 2 cents is that it got through the committee that put it forth to begin with, and now the House debates begin. Not sure how long it will be before House actually votes on it, although I had read somewhere before that it could be 1-2 months. Hopefully, the lobbyists come out full force (i.e., big tough Wall Street guys). I wasn’t happy to see the NFL and Major League Baseball side with the ingredients of the bill, however. Also, I wasn’t happy to see online Poker singled-out either.
On a positive note, as Yorktown alluded to, it appears that this bill is now on its own, and will be treated and voted on as a standalone entity. That is something that should help our cause a bit.
So far I see nothing we haven’t seen year after year after year.
The best quote from the Washington Post article:
It also provides a way to kill pet projects, known as earmarks, that lawmakers sneak into larger bills.
Gotta love the hipocrasy in DC. Create a bill that is actually very important and then try to sneak this anti-gambling rider onto it. Typical business as usual stuff.
Sounds like we may have dodged a bullet, though I still can’t believe that outright censorship on the web would ever withstand a constitutional challenge. Still, who wants to wait through that process.
Diversification is key to everything in life. Marc, you are correct to say diversify, however you should also be diversifying yourself of the affiliate industry as well. I imagine 99% of the people here aren’t relying on casino affiliate revenue as their only source of income.
