Poker.com/Carbon Poker/Poker Nordica

[kaus]

I wonder what the affiliates who are promting them and using the rakeback banners are thinking now

[Jeremy]

"Anyhow I am done with this, I will speak to Ellen or wait for her reply."

I don't think that was the reply from Ellen that royal was looking for. This is a PAW Exclusive.

Hi Guys,

Our network does not allow for rakeback in any form and so we were extremely unhappy to hear about IronDuke promoting this.

As such we have been in contact with IronDuke’s representatives and have now suspended all new player signups from joining their room as a result of them breaching our network policy. This suspension will remain in place until further discussions have taken place and we allow them to operate once again.

I will say this to all so it is very clear – the Merge Gaming Network does not allow rakeback in any form and if we see any of our skin sites offering this again, we will take action.

Cheers,

Ellen

[Brandon]

If IronDuke cannot follow their own networks rules, I def do not want them handling my business.

[Graham]

Lol...hilarious thread

Nice response Ellen, that was classic

[PokerProp]

Originally Posted by kaus

I wonder what the affiliates who are promting them and using the rakeback banners are thinking now

Well as one affiliate I'll give you my opinion. Royal Profits has one of the best support teams in the industry.
I'm sure they thought rakeback was allowed because I don't think they would of went through as much trouble to set up a skin if not.
To me this is even more validation that the Merge Network just really doesn't have their act together, everything has come off sloppy lately.

As soon as Chan Pokers affiliate program launches I'm going to replace Carbon Poker links and banners with Chan.

As far as Brandons comment though:

If IronDuke cannot follow their own networks rules, I def do not want them handling my business

This stab seems unfair. There are are two sides to every story.

I'm sure somewhere along the way they were lead to believed they were allowed to do this. Royal Profits has been great to deal with so far on their other rooms and support emails always answered quick and payments on time so far. I'm very impressed with them.

[Jeremy]

This whole debacle reminds me of the UltimateBet vs. Pokershare drama (for the old timers). This is where networks can get tricky if all the operators are not all one big team in a sense.

This has nothing to do with the current situation, but in general competing with other rooms on the same network is a cancer to every room. Each room should have the absolute same T&C's, bonuses, and player incentives.

If rooms on the same network or going to compete, the competition should come from marketing, branding, and customer service.

[PokerProp]

While perhaps good in theory I don't think any network has ever done this.

The only network I remember having the same bonus was WPC or w/e that Party Network was called - but they allowed rakeback skins (sorta, but didn't prevent them for sure).

Microgaming, iPoker, Ongame, DGN, Cake Network, Action etc -bunch of sites with their own bonuses, different ways to clear them etc.

[Jeremy]

While perhaps good in theory I don't think any network has ever done this.

I agree, just good in theory.

[Kris]

Originally Posted by PokerProp

I'm sure somewhere along the way they were lead to believed they were allowed to do this. Royal Profits has been great to deal with so far on their other rooms and support emails always answered quick and payments on time so far. I'm very impressed with them.

I worked at the company that became Merge until this year, and helped formulate the network rules and drafted the first skin contract.

I can tell you that when I was there at no time was rakeback going to be permitted by skins, and it was definitely included in the first draft of the standard contract. Never has the network allowed rakeback by affiliates either. But in saying that, I had nothing to do with bringing IronDuke aboard...

Things may have changed in the last few months, but I doubt it.

Just my 2c...

[royal]

I just wanted to state now that I will not get involved in this public discussion any longer until such time as we have exhausted all possibilities of reaching an amicable conclusion privately.
This is a network issue and I am really concerned that some representatives have made the public statements that they have. As PokerProp pointed out there are always two sides to a story, if we do not work something out you will hear mine next week.