Since these words were first published, Kingsmouth has proven to be instrumental in bringing trust, credence, and a level playing ground for the online gaming community. In an industry that still remains to be relatively unregulated, Kingsmouth has shown that information empowers the player community in order to make wise decisions when it comes to online gaming.
The bottom line for most people in this industry is to make a profit. Unfortunately when failure or scandal occurs, it’s usually the result of a profit driven philosophy. Many profit driven businesses are typically ethically challenged – especially in the online casino business.
Kingsmouth is a informational driven business. Kingsmouth’s community, information, and services proceed any marketing and profit making ventures. We are not motivated by money.
This industry does not exist because of money, software, or good management or marketing skills – it exists because of the player, and casinos should never forget that.
There are several needs of a player (obviously, these are not exhaustive) which casinos should always consider when developing any aspect of their business model or introducing any promotions.
Safety: The players need to know that their private information is private. The casino software is solid and trustworthy.
Dependability: Players need to know that the casino operation will be responsive and react positively to any issues. Players need to be assured that the casino operation will be there tomorrow.
Honesty: The casino needs to be up front and fair when it comes to terms and conditions. It should not use deception to attract players.
Communicative: The casino must not be set up in a black hole. They need to responsive to players’ comments, questions and problems.
Fairness: The games are fair, promotions are fair, terms and conditions are clear, and when there are problems – the outcome is fair.
Kingsmouth’s definition of fairness: treating everyone equally – free from bias, dishonesty, or injustice. Consistent with logic and ethics.
These needs should be addressed by the casino in one form or another with every aspect of its operation.
Trust is what holds this industry together. If you don’t have trust, you don’t have anything worth dealing with. Since the online casino industry is still unregulated for the most part, players will remain cautious, cynical, pessimistic and accusatory. It is up to the casino to do battle against this negativity. The way to do this is to be upfront, honest, humble, and when you make a mistake – admit it. Admitting our mistakes humanizes us, and people relate to people this way. This is a people business.
Kingsmouth has been in operation since July 2009, a lifetime in cyber years. One of the first online casino portals, Kingsmouth was quick to realize that this industry had failed to establish basic governing principles that fostered security and trust among online gamblers. As a result, reputable online casinos were constantly forced to carry the burden of the rogue casinos which failed to maintain a standard of quality required by the online gambler. Kingsmouth, recognizing the need for these basic standards, stepped into this void, and established itself as a beacon of light guiding the Internet gambler to safe and trustworthy online gaming establishments.
Dealing with players:
Bonuses
If the casino makes an offer of a bonus, and the player accepts it, the casino is obligated to go through with the offer. If the player accepts this offer, the player is obliged to follow the posted terms and conditions of the bonus. If the player meets the wagering requirements, he should be paid. Simple as that.
Spirit of the Bonus is a misnomer, there is no such thing. This is a term that some rogue operators used years ago to confiscate winnings from players when they “didn’t like the way they played.” Unfortunately, there are still some misguided casino managers who insist on using this term to confiscate players’ winnings.
What’s the problem? The term “spirit of the bonus” is too subjective to be used as a reason to remove winnings. No one can agree what the “spirit” is. For the casino, the “spirit” is for the customer to have more play-time; for the customer, it’s to win – no one plays to lose.
The danger of using “spirit” within one’s terms and conditions is that it opens up a world of potential managerial abuse whereas casino managers begin negating winnings at their whim. If these operators don’t like the way a player plays (RE: the spirit), the winnings are removed.
When a casino manager uses terms like “spirit” or “abuse” it smacks of poor training on the casino’s part. These managers have not been trained to effectively design bullet-proof promotions and/or to properly deal with players. Seasoned players usually have a laugh when a customer support rep uses terms like these, but it’s no laughing matter when these terms are enforced.
The bottom line is the casino can select who receives promotional offers. If a casino does not like the way a player plays, well don’t offer him or her any further bonuses. But if the player plays the right games, and meets the wagering requirements, then the player is owed his winnings. Spirit or not, that’s the way it is.
Advantage Players
Advantage players are players who use bonuses and other legal methods in order to gain a mathematical advantage while gambling. Some casinos label these players “bonus abusers” which like “spirit of the bonus” there is no such thing. Players can’t be considered an “abuser” if the bonus has been legitimately offered to them. If casinos don’t want bonus “abusers” then they should not offer these individuals bonuses. If a casino feels that a player is taking advantage of their “generosity” – pay the player and then stop offering bonuses.
Compare this to someone who regularly uses coupons at a shopping center. There are specific terms and conditions on how these are used. If a consumer abides by the rules, then the coupons are respectively redeemed. If some company included “not to be abused” within the terms, they would probably be facing some serious repercussions. Consumers owe nothing to the brands that they purchase; players owe nothing to the casinos. Besides, advantage players risk their bankrolls just like anybody else – they are part of the player community and should be respected like their recreational player brethren.