The nascent Gambling Affiliates Union has wasted little time in baring its teeth, announcing a boycott of the Grand Prive and Vegas Affiliates programs this week following an overwhelming vote in favour of the punitive move by the 200 affiliate marketers who comprise its membership.
The GAU commenced operations early November and is on record as saying that it intends to recruit 1 000 members within the next six months, hoping to attract affiliate marketers from all over the world.
The Union reported that polls of the current 200 members on whether to impose boycotts on Grand Prive and Vegas Affiliates returned an “Aye” vote of 89 percent on Grand Prive and 87 percent on Vegas Affiliates, with no “Nay” votes, but 11 percent abstaining in the Grand Prive poll and 13 percent abstaining in the Vegas Affiliates poll.
Grand Prive promotes the Grand Bay, Bella Vegas, Lake Palace, Jupiter Club and Road House casinos; and Vegas Affiliates, while Vegas Affiliates promotes the Grand Hotel, Vegas Joker, Vegas Slot, Colosseum, Vegas Country and Vegas 7 casinos.
The boycotts, which involve GAU members refusing to promote the offending sites, will continue indefinitely, announced the Union’s chairman, UK-based affiliate marketer Paul White.
He emphasised, however, that the Union had an open door policy and would be prepared to reconsider and re-poll the boycott if the affiliate programs concerned agreed to GAU arbitration on affiliate marketer complaints.
White said this week: “We are not looking to close programs down, we are just looking for them to be fair with affiliates.” He added that GAU members are not compelled to adhere to the boycotts.
The poll on a boycott of a third program – that of Affiliate Lounge – returned a 41 percent “yes” vote, a 14 percent abstention count and a 45 percent qualified “yes” vote conditional on an arbitration agreement currently being negotiated bwteen the program and the GAU.
Affiliate Lounge, promotes Betsson, Casino Euro and Cherry Casino.