As tipsters continue to make large profits from losses in the gambling industry the pressure is growing. Once the Guardian revealed commissions as high as thirty percent were being made from punters’ losses the affiliation scheme from Sky Bet was shut down by the business. There is a lot of pressure for all bookmakers to put an end to any tipster affiliation schemes. According to the experts in the industry, former tipsters and current tipster’s profits are being made by recommending bets that are extreme long-shots. These bets are not likely to win and can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
According to a recent statement the suggestion was made that Sky Bet was waiting for new rules to pass in an unregulated sector with great anticipation. Sky Bet responded by saying the consistent developments in the regulatory landscape is increasing the obligations regarding compliance and regulatory responsibility. They believe to maintain compliance the questionable viability of the program must be managed along with the affiliates output. They perceive this to be a significant risk to their company regarding the regulatory perspective. Pressure groups and charities are in favor of the move and are asking for all ties to tipsters to be severed.
The Campaign for Fairer Gambling responded with a statement from one of their spokespersons. They said affiliate sites masquerade as tipsters because the operators are always trying to secure new customers. This occurs because financial difficulties are experienced by a lot of their customers due to gambling. They believe the affiliate sites must be shut down to make the sector more sustainable. This will help prevent other operators from causing harm. One of the most common ways for bookmakers and online casinos to get new customers is with the use of affiliates. This began due to the increase in pay-per-click advertising. Although many companies are conducting legal business others are deliberately using tactics to mislead individuals who trust them due to their approachability and occasional wins.
Since followers want to have access to the operators tips they are agreeing to sign up with specific casinos and bookmakers affiliated with the vendor. New users are often lured in with advertisements for free betting but are required to make as many as 35 bets before they can withdraw any winnings. Tipsters can easily afford to lose their bets because of the vast amount of money they make from individuals who sign up and lose. The decision made by Sky Bet to sever their affiliate links is hopeful but they are not the first to deal with the link to a third party with unscrupulous practices. Stricter affiliate rules have been pledged by Ladbrokes and they believe lessons can be learned from unfair Ts&Cs.
The Chief Executive of Ladbrokes is Jim Mullen and he made a statement to eGaming Review. He said their affiliates are being brought a lot closer to their group policy before they are given the right of representation. He said this is the first of many improvements. He admits they want to remain competitive but have no desire to cross the line and made it clear they are willing to learn any necessary lessons. The Labor MP representing Swansea East is Carolyn Harris. She campaigns on reforming gambling and predicts greater affiliate network scrutiny enforced by the gambling industry. She claims Sky Bet’s actions are an avoidance to possible litigation in the future. She believes they have finally realized how immoral their practices are and do not want to face the consequences as a result from their actions. She feels they are simply running scared.
