When using search engines to find online casinos, you may notice many online listicles. These can be top 10 casino lists or be specific to topics like bonuses or games. In most cases, these recommendations should be ignored.
Most online gambling players do not understand how the industry’s marketing works. Affiliates handle much of it. These companies create content with the sole goal of getting new players to sign up for gambling sites. They do not do this to be charitable. The affiliate sites get paid for each qualifying player.
The methods for these payments are either a flat amount per player, a share of their losses, or a combination of the two. This is done in both the regulated and offshore segments. Online sportsbooks and poker rooms have the same setups.
This creates a conflict of interest for online gambling content creators. Most of these sites rank based on which operator pays them the most or the ones that convert new players the best. They often cannot be trusted to be objective when they are getting paid for their referrals.
There is an obvious conflict between responsible gambling messaging and affiliate revenue models, particularly when compensation is tied to player losses. When a company gets paid to send players, it is advertising, not objective reviewing. While some affiliate companies behave properly, many more do not. Here are some of the reasons.
Ranking criteria are secret
Affiliate sites may claim to have a ranking algorithm and experts on staff to evaluate each gambling site. This is usually nonsense. In my more than 20 years in the industry, I have run into very few expert casino writers who create this type of content working for affiliates.
These companies tend to cut corners to save money. They often hire cheap writers from overseas, or they use AI. The editors often lack basic gambling knowledge and follow strict company guidelines, including making reviews and lists positive for sites they promote and negative for ones they do not get paid to list. The top site is simply the one that paid them the most to be ranked there.
The author probably never played there, and may not exist
Since there are rarely experts on staff, the information is unoriginal and unhelpful to players. Possible pitfalls like bad bonus terms, legitimate player complaints, and limited game selection are often not discussed. Only four states (Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia) have competitive online casino markets. It is rare when the author lives in one of those states, especially with so many European bylines on this content.
Assume the author never played there and just used another review as the template for marketing, not informational purposes. You may even discover the alleged author is not even a real person. Some affiliate sites create fake AI authors. Luckily, Google is getting much better at filtering that garbage out of search returns.
Lack of disclosure
The FTC requires affiliates to disclose their financial relationships with gambling sites. While some comply, many do not, or do it vaguely. Assume that any website trying to get you to click their links or use their bonus code has a financial interest in your decision. That content was not created to inform players. It was published to sell online gambling.
Vague bonus terms
Another problem with these lists is that the casinos will have vague “100% up to $1000” type of bonus pitches. The ads never disclose the issues that may arise when accepting an online casino bonus, which include restricted cashouts, banned games, short expiration dates, and massive wagering requirements. In fact, some just put vague disclosures like “terms may apply” in tiny lettering below the bonus offer that is in much larger print. These problems are covered more here.
Game quality is ignored
You may notice that these reviews rarely mention game quality. Does the site have full-pay Jacks or Better? Do all its blackjack games pay 3/2 and stand on soft 17? What are the maximum craps odds? Does the Field pay triple on 12?
These are important facts missing from most of these reviews, often because the affiliate company lacks the experience to know the details, and the author never played the games. These details directly determine the house edge, yet they are rarely included in affiliate reviews because they require actual game knowledge.
Play online casinos for fun, not income
Responsible gambling is often contrary to an online gambling affiliate company’s financial goals. The more money their referred players lose, the more they get paid. Even if they do not get revenue share, affiliates referring high-value players can negotiate more lucrative flat payout deals for each depositing player.
Play responsibly and do not get fooled by online gambling marketing. Only deposit what you can afford to lose. If you claim a bonus, understand the terms and conditions before playing.