Paddy Power Close Our Affiliate Account Again
Published On 5th January 2023
Regular visitors to Loquax will know that earlier in the year we had a few issues with Betfair and them closing our affiliate partnership with zero notice. They then took several weeks to reply to emails and only really got animated when we started to name their staff in our articles. Now the Betfair affiliate program is also managed by the same folk who look after Paddy Power. Given that our visitors are not good enough for Betfair it stands to reason that they're not good enough for Paddy Power either and so we've been waiting and wondering when we'd officially get removed from that partnership as well. Well we don't have to wait any longer because our 'Dear John' notice arrived in our inboxes yesterday and we're pleased to say that our complaints re: the handling of the Betfair saga have been well and truly noted.
Six Hours Notice - Kind Of!
One of the issues we had with Betfair was that they gave us no notice. They just closed the affiliate account and we had no idea of earnings and whether we'd get paid. We felt that treating business partners in such a way was unacceptable and raised concerns via the affiliate team and a complaints person at the company. Obviously our words were heeded because at around 6pm on 30th September we got an email saying our Paddy Power relationship was going to end on the 1st October. We would be paid for September too - hooray! Six hours notice, an email and confirmation of payment from revenues earnt is a massive step forward for a company who in the past haven't had the decency to do that. Although the six hours notice is very much appreciated what did find was our account was closed (so it can't be accessed) so not really much notice to check reports/data etc. Still better than with Betfair! So congratulations PPB Affiliate Team - you rock! In case you're wondering "yes" we're being sarcastic.
The Wrong Kind Of Customers?
When you get suspended (well kicked off) an affiliate program you tend to get a generic email that covers a multitude of sins. The reasons they offer include the wrong kind of customers, compliance issues, fraud or anti-money laundering and inactivity. We're not sure how a gambling brand gets the wrong kind of customers and we're fairly confident of our compliance measures. Fraud and AML is way off our charts and despite a lot of disgruntlement towards Paddy Power over the Betfair affair we have still sent a few players to them in recent times. It's not a huge number but it's definitely not a sign of an inactive account. It would be nicer if instead of sending a generic pile of nonsense, affiliate managers had the decency to send an honest explanation. We think they don't because they actually can't give you a factual reason nor can they say it's because you're a revshare affiliate and they want to do some money saving so screw the lifetime of player deal agreed. They also don't send a personal email because they don't want to engage in any kind of discussion which is not surprising because in recent times contacting affiliates is something quite alien to most of the team at Paddy Power Betfair.
Inevitability Versus Frustration
As mentioned above we've expected this to happen ever since Betfair screwed us around. Many of our Paddy Power links were dropped and much of our promotion has been token efforts or pushing promotions like The Wonder Wheel. Our view of Flutter Entertainment has been severely damaged by the incompetence and lack of professionalism of the current affiliate team - and we're more than happy to point this out to visitors to our site. We actually were removed from Paddy Power a couple of months ago but reinstated because it was a "mistake". You can't build a good relationship with any brand that does these kind of mistakes or thinks six hours notice is sufficient time to end a business relationship. Whilst the inevitable has occurred it does also leave us frustrated. The aim of Loquax Bingo is to be good, strong, independent source of bingo news and views. We're not owned by a stockmarket listed company and we're limited in size. But that doesn't mean we can't function in the market as an affiliate. Unfortunately culling simply squeezes out smaller affiliates as they can't afford to exist. Trying to build a brand online is hard enough but trying to do it with constantly changing UKGC rules, compliance, lack of social media options, no newsletter outlets, and with the likes of Paddy Power and Betfair killing off income streams it becomes an even bigger task. But then we do love a challenge.
Opportunity Knocks
This year has seen a lot of change with respect to bingo brands and affiliates. Bet365, Betfair and Paddy Power have decided they only want to work with big sites whilst the likes of Wink, Costa, 888 Ladies have moved house and no one knows what will happen with those. This means a lot of gaps to fill! So let's fill them with alternatives to Paddy Power Bingo. Buzz Bingo is a much better brand for bingo players than any of those mentioned. There's also the likes of Heart, Gala, Jackpotjoy and Mecca to consider. If you love sports betting then Coral, Ladbrokes and William Hill offer just as much to players - if not more. And when it comes to casinos and slots then you can pick pretty much any brand you like because the games are a much of a muchness where-ever you try. Betfred, PlayOJO, William Hill Vegas etc will easily match what you will find at Paddy Power or Betfair. At the end of the day if brands don't want our visitors then there are plenty that do. We'll keep plugging away with our content and helping our visitors the best sites to visit.
Update - January 2023
Well it seems that the affiliate management team at Paddy Power and Betfair have learnt nothing in 2022. News reaches us that a bingo affiliate received their suspension notice just five days into the New Year again with no valid explanations or respect. They don't know whether they're going to receive revenue for January having already earnt revenue during the first week of the month. It makes you wonder what the process of culling affiliates is within the walls of Flutter Entertainment. It's obviously not about compliance because the affiliate, like ourselves, works hard to keep on top of requirements. It has to come down to volume of players and/or affiliate management time. The latter isn't a factor as you never hear from the AMs so it has to be the former. But if an affiliate is compliant and generating a few players then what is the issue? No one seems to have the answer!
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