CasinoMeister Adds Grand Prive to its Rogue Casino List
by Hillary LaClair, Senior Editor
January 1, 2009
Casinomeister.com has added another rogue online casino to its list. Microgaming powered Grand Prive has been labeled untrustworthy because it has taken its leave from the U.S. market. All Microgaming casinos have exited the U.S. following the Kentucky domain seizures. The difference with Grand Prive is that is has abandoned its affiliate programs.
Online casino affiliates are website operators that are awarded a cut of the profits when referring customers to the casino. Usually, and as was the case with Grand Prive, the casino pays the affiliate for the entire duration of the player’s stay with the casino.
“Trust is a must in this industry – and in the midst of flaccid regulators and licensing jurisdictions, self regulation is the only recourse when trust has been discarded and kicked to the curb,” reads a notice on Casinomeister. “Here we have a Microgaming powered casino group announce their departure from the US market, and closing of all affiliate groups.”
Grand Prive will cease future payments to its previous U.S. affiliates, even while their referred players are active. The company will continue to profit from the customers that came from the affiliates, and the affiliates will be out of a paycheck. “Baaaad casino practice,” says CasinoMeister. “If they are willing to do this with their business partners, how do you think they plan on treating their players?”
During the first bout of the Kentucky domain seizure case, Microgaming’s website went offline. The gaming provider began to block all U.S. residents, without giving notice. It relied on its affiliates to explain to these users that they were no longer welcome. Now, Microgaming intends to leave hundreds, if not thousands, of its business partners in the cold.
The Grand Prive Group prompted its affiliates to visit the Villa Fortuna Affiliates group, which they say is “…up, running and ready to forge a new business relationship with you.” However, the group will not accept U.S. business.
Casinomeister has listed Belle Vegas Online, Casino Grand Bay, Kasino Grand Bay, Grand Bay Poker, Lake Palace Casino, Jupiter Club Casino, Road House Reels Casino, Fortune Junction Casino, Jackpot Wheel Casino, Villa Fortuna Casino and Villa Fortuna as rogue websites associated with Grand Prive.
While Casinomeister is an online casino affiliate, it has never been a business partner of Grand Prive. The statement concludes, “I have never been an affiliate of the Grand Prive Group, so this rogue listing is not out of spite. This listing is to inform the online casino community that this sort of underhanded behavior is unacceptable.
“Avoid these casinos at all costs.”
The group is dedicated to providing internet gamblers with a comprehensive list of trustworthy and also dishonest gambling sites. It also provides its members with free arbitration when a casino is suspected of foul play.
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