PokerStars Affiliates Angry with new 2 Year Limit on Rev Share

PokerStars affiliates were angered by a recent message from the operator detailing new terms and conditions that would see all rev share accounts limited to 2 year payments per acquired player.

PokerStars affiliates angered by new 2 year limited rev shareThe online poker affiliate business is a lucrative one for independent media, and has played an enormous role in the exponential growth of the industry over the years. Thousands of PokerStars affiliates have been maintaining websites that promote the brand in an effort to make a living by driving traffic to the virtual tables, and if the operator’s current, unrivaled leadership in the online poker industry is any indication, those affiliates did an impeccable job.
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Unfortunately, after years of service and due reward, starting June 1, 2015, PokerStars affiliates will no longer be able to collect rev share on the players they’ve converted more than two years ago. The operator sent out a message to all members of the PokerStars Partners team of affiliates, informing them that the company has decided to steer its ship in a different direction to help “grow the game of poker”.

The letter delivered to PokerStars affiliates indicated that the company plans to meet that goal by “introducing the game to new audiences”, in particular, recreational players. “Consequently, we are announcing plans to rebalance the PokerStars affiliate payment program.”

PokerStars attempted to soften the blow by glorifying its efforts to give extended notice of the upcoming changes. “Our existing agreement with you requires us to give 14 days’ notice of changes, but in this instance, we will give 30 days’ notice, so these changes will take effect from June 1, 2015,” read the missive.

Next came the fatal blow that sent PokerStars affiliates into a rage.

Big Changes for PokerStars Affiliates

“From June 1, 2015, PokerStars will pay revenue shares to affiliates for only the first two years of activity on a player’s account. This will affect all referrals by affiliates, including retrospectively affecting those players referred prior to 1 June, 2015.”

What that means is that all players referred by PokerStars affiliates prior to June 1, 2013, will no longer generate a commission for the affiliate. Also, any player referred to PokerStars on June 1, 2014, for example, will only generate rev share until June 1, 2016. And, of course, from June 1, 2015 onward, all new players driven to the online poker site by an affiliate will only generate payments for the next two years.

PokerStars Explains its Position on Limiting Rev Share

“Over the last few years, the global online poker industry has changed significantly, and we must change with it,” explained PokerStars Partners. “Unfortunately, the realities of today’s marketplace means that fewer and fewer new player acquisitions are coming from affiliate marketing. As a result, we must rebalance the incentives to benefit affiliates who maintain and grow new player acquisition.

“We recognise that this will have a significant impact on some affiliates,” the letter continued. “Consequently, PokerStars is launching a series of new and exciting efforts to drive significant growth in the poker economy. We believe that these efforts provide a great business opportunity for affiliates who choose to join us in growing the poker world.”

PokerStars Affiliates React to the Changes

The majority of PokerStars affiliates were angered by the new rev shares terms. The fact is, many affiliates have been promoting the website for nearly a decade, earning money for the referrals who continue to play online poker to this day. With every new referral, their payments increase exponentially. Now, that will come to an end next month.

Some affiliates argued that changing the T&C in this manner is not legal. If the affiliate agreed to a deal that promised rev share for the “lifetime” of a player, PokerStars should be required to honor that deal. However, while the argument does seem valid, the fact that PokerStars Partners reserves the right to alter the T&C at any time, providing adequate notice, removes all legal implications.

Interestingly enough, not every PokerStars affiliate shared the same inimical opinion. Like the operator, a few affiliates expressed their belief that earning money on traffic generated years ago has caused the industry to go soft. If PokerStars affiliates want to continue earning a living by promoting online poker, they will simply have to fortify their efforts to continue attracting new players.

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