Network policies not affiliates cause rakeback problems, says RakeTheRake chief
The boss of top rakeback site RakeTheRake, Karim Wilkins, has entered the rakeback debate, saying that rogue skins not rakeback affiliates are responsible for the problems arising from the use ofrakeback by networks to retain players.
THE BOSS OF TOP RAKEBACK SITE RakeTheRake has said that rogue skins, not rakeback affiliates, are responsible for the problems arising from the use of rakeback by networks to retain players.
Entering the rakeback debate taking place on EGRmagazine.com, chief executive of poker loyalty site RakeTheRake Karim Wilkins (pictured), said that problems such as the cannibalisation of existing traffic and erosion of margins are mainly due to some networks not having a clear rakeback policy with skins, not due to affiliates giving rakeback.
Wilkins said: “These days networks like iPoker, Entraction, Boss and Microgaming will seemingly give an online skin to anyone with a few hundred dollars and a small database of players. And it’s a majority of these skins that are cannibalising existing network traffic, by contacting players through player chat at the tables and so forth in order to poach them across for higher rakeback”.
Wilkins said networks further exacerbate this problem by giving away skins to affiliates looking to diversify within the industry.
“This represents a clear conflict of interest for the networks as some of these affiliates still promote other skins on the network. This means they can easily identify players from those other skins and try and convert them for a higher margin,” said Wilkins, whose site also offers players loyalty bonuses such as cash free rolls and live tournament packages.
Wilkins’ comments follow William Hill Online COO Peter Marcus’ rallying call to poker operators on rakeback this week, when Marcus told operators to “get together and be strict” on preventing affiliates and poker skins offering it.
Wilkins said that rakeback can work well for poker networks, so long as they have a clear rakeback policy that it is capped and adhered to by everyone on the network.
“What’s frustrating is that the networks without clear policies are too proud to ask for or take advice from the people who know rakeback best, the big established affiliates. It’s the big affiliates who provide checks and balances for the whole system via self policing and caps, and it is they who can gauge what the players are after at the kickback level,” he said.
Wilkins’ views will be published in full in the eGaming Review August edition’s rakeback feature, which also includes views from Peter Marcus, Entraction chief executive Peter Astrom, poker affiliate Bill Rini and Keith Freeman, founder of Poker-Strategy.org, the industry’s first affiliate to offer a ‘rake rebate’.
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