Newbie's Guide to Gambling Message Boards
by Brian Cullingworth, Internet Gambling Consultant
October 27, 2000
It's the ultimate spirit of Freedom of Speech.
With "handles" like Spearmaster, Hitmob, Zrapture and Prosperity
thousands of online gamblers communicate daily on the
phenomenon we call the internet, making this uniquely fast network
a major resource for experienced and "newbie" players alike.
About to have a crack at online gambling for the first time but not sure
where to go? A few visits to a good message board will soon tell you
who are the good, the bad and the downright ugly.
Or perhaps you feel you've been ripped off and want to warn others
and have a good rant. These are the places where you can
do it fast and effectively, reaching enormous interested audiences.
It is estimated that for every active message board poster there are as
many as ten "lurkers" - bystanders who prefer to remain
passively on the fringes and "listen". And indeed that is exactly what a
newcomer to this fascinating world should do before posting - lurk.
To do otherwise is to invite disaster. If you haven't studied the different
personalities and topics being discussed before you jump in with an opinion
you can make a fool of yourself. You might find yourself at the unhappy center
of an unequal debate or worse still receive an unmerciful flaming - a literal
roasting from opponents who will not mince their words.
A cardinal sin is to "spam" message boards, which is the online equivalent of
thrusting yourself into a private conversation and yelling a sales message at
everyone around you before darting away. Do that and you will almost certainly
get more flak than clients.
Another great way to win friends and influence message board people is to
pretend you are a satisfied player and extol the fictitious virtues of your operation.
That adds dishonesty to your boorishness and really does put you beyond the pale.
Despite these fundamental and unwritten rules, the spammers keep on coming,
motivated by referral rewards from their employers. With enticing names like
Honey, Ginger and Satisfied you'll see them relentlessly strafing the boards with
tirelessly gushing and patently false claims. Very few of these folks are rocket
scientists and it shows in the lack of subtlety in their labors. Capitals and exclamation
points - the internet version of shouting - abound in their postings and you will always
find a url to speed you to their vision of gambler's paradise.
Some Boards try to stop these unwanted intrusions by providing spammers with
a section where they can extol the virtues of their casinos, agencies or information
sites. If the members are interested in the bonuses and other blandishments on offer
they will visit that section and read Satisfied, Ginger or Honey's canned meat.
But that is the downside. Message boards are more generally friendly places once
you have announced yourself and start participating. They are a bottomless well of
experience and information because they represent the pooled knowledge of a diverse
group of people with a shared passion - online gambling.
Here you will find whizz kids and senior citizens; salesmen and professors; casino
operators and players - men and women exchanging mirth, views and information
on everything to do with wagering that you can imagine. Someone asks "Do you know
anything about XYZ casino", and the responses fly. "Don't touch 'em" or "These guys
are straight and pay fast"
Note that last phrase, operators - it is probably the player's most important criteria in
judging you - are you fair and do you pay your winners and pay 'em fast?
Message Boards are both a powerful referral base and a forum. Genuine operators,
consultants, information sites and even gambling software makers are welcome to
debate issues and present wider perspectives. They can build bridges and discover pure
gold in the opinions and needs of the people who make it all happen. The players.
Yet you would be astonished at how many are blind to this outstanding resource.
And they are paying a price for a lack of awareness which goes beyond ignorance.
In recent months controversy raged across many Boards on the internet over a dishonest
casino and its software supplier. It was a golden opportunity for both organisations to
put across their side of the story and find common ground with thousands of players, and yet
they inexplicably let it slip through their fingers. Sadly, they suffered serious injury to their
reputations which will not easily be retrieved.
I advise my clients never to underestimate the value of internet forums as both a true sounding
board and an honest channel of communication.
But there's an obligation on you, whether you are a player or anyone else.
Don't abuse the hospitality of the Board and always be prepared to hear out the other person.
Message Boards recommended for integrity and knowledgable exchanges:
www.winneronline.com
www.casinomeister.com
www.gamemasteronline.com
www.bj21.com
The author is an internet gambling industry consultant and minority shareholder in
www.jetsetcasino.com.