Rooms that let you use their name in a TLD

[Georgia Poker]

Guys/Girls -

Rather than reading dozens of T&C's to try and sort this out, would you mind replying here so that we can build a list of poker rooms that DO ALLOW you to use their name in a TLD?

For example, bonusatfulltiltpoker.com or rakebackatdoylesroom.com

[pokerprop]

It seems at many rooms it depends on who you are.

Rooms I had trouble doing this with in the past included: Cake Poker, Full Tilt Poker, Everest Poker and Bet365. I also got served legal papers from OnGame threating to sue me for violating their trademark, and Microgaming took a domain from me in dispute (I lost: think domain was something like microgamingsbest.something).

Full Tilt is lazed on it until they decide they want your domain then go after it. Cake Poker pisses me off because an affiliate company I now own a major share in promoted them when they were no one and worked hard building them up. We were not allowed to use a domain and took it offline. i let it expire a big rakeback site picked it up and now they won't even respond to my emails asking if this site is allowed to use it.

Carbon stated a long time ago it is allowed and judging by search results Doyles Room allows it or is flack on anything that prohibits it.

Anyways I used to go after these domains. I've ended that now though (Don't think I own any) and wish the sites would just make a rule stopping it all together. Really the double standard don't make sense. Why those who leach a keyword giving the company no value often get paid more than smaller affiliates bringing in fresh players the room wouldn't of otherwise have gotten is beyond me. Hopefully as the industry matures more companies smarten up. The same way they are realizing winning players who rake a high amount are not profitable - soon hopefully they'll realize many large affiliates (not all but many) are not profitable either. I fear they don't realize it though and it just makes less for all of us. To state this clear I'm complaining about the rooms not other affiliates. As an affiliate take what you can someones going to do it so might as well be you. I no longer buy into the "we're partners sell". Jesse made a great post a while back on that topic that should be stickied lol.

/rant which also included helpful on topic advice mixed with a rant.

[Georgia Poker]

So the list so far is:

DOES allow using their name in a TLD

Carbon Poker
Doyles Room

Does NOT allow

Cake
Full Tilt
Everest
Bet365

[TheShortStack]

I'll throw Pkr into the ring too.

One thing to bear in mind with all of these sites though is that it's worth getting in touch with them and getting their permission in writing before you start promoting.

It just avoids any hassles later on.

[Mike]

I know you want a list of rooms that DO allow but I can only contribute DONT'S. I have had sites shut down by bodog, pokerstars, and 5dimes.

[leporello]

Also depends on the affiliate. Some sites are more lenient towards bigger affiliates. One very large rakeback affiliate owns 95% of pokersiterakeback.com domain names that redirect to them or else have minisites setup.

[simoneaton]

Do not use bet365 in the domain... this is a big no-no with us and mentioned in the terms and conditions. Why would any room allow webmasters to buy domain names with their name in the URL.

[TheDonk]

Do not use bet365 in the domain... this is a big no-no with us and mentioned in the terms and conditions. Why would any room allow webmasters to buy domain names with their name in the URL.

First, if the room is doing even a half-way decent job with their website we shouldn't be able to rank above you for any good keywords anyway, so it's a matter of who ranks below you. So unless you're just trying to protect super affiliates, why would you care? In fact, your super-affiliates generally get the biggest cpa's anyway, and since every site is looking for ways to cut costs, it makes sense not to help the super-affiliates.

This whole notion of 'stealing' players is ridiculous and people who use this term don't know wtf they're talking about. If a potential player decides not to click on your site listed at #1, it's usually because they want info on your site, not to go directly to it. This is not 'stealing' your players. Someone is going to rank #2, #3, #4 etc etc... why would the rooms want players to go to sites like PL where they have tons of competition versus a site without competition? The sites dedicated to you reinforce your brand, then give players one room to go to - you.

Small poker rooms say they prefer that visitors go to PL because it gives them access to players they wouldn't normally have. Yeah, but your little poker room doesn't rank at PL, meaning that all they're really doing is telling people NOT to play at your site. Also, this only works on keywords that DON'T have your name in them. Otherwise, when PL ranks #2 for keywords with your domain name in them, you are LOSING players to other rooms who would not be marketed on sites with your domain name in them.

Second, there is brand recognition in it for you. Players don't understand affiliate terms and use of tld, they do understand popularity. Type Twilight Movie into Google and see how many sites have Twilight in their domain. Lots of fan sites = this must be good. No fan sites = this must suck. From a players perspective, sites with your domain name in the tld get recognized as fan type sites, which means they think people like you.

Third, a lot of these sites don't just rank for keywords with your domain in them. If someone comes to my site from a keyword without your domain name, your room has complete dominance. And even if they do, these sites are just reinforcement for you.

It really comes down to this. If you do a shitty job on your own site and need weak competition, don't allow us to use your domain. If you do a good job with your site, these types of sites are good for you, leave them alone.

What makes the most sense is to allow use of your domain name - as long as no other rooms are being marketed on that site. If poker sites want to protect their players, pay less in CPA's and lose fewer players, this is the way to do it.

If I owned a poker room I would buy the .com, .net, and .org versions, plus myroomdownload.com, myroombonus.com, myroombonuscode.com and develop them myself. Then I'd come to places like PAL and tell affiliates to develop all the rest, give my room protection on rankings below me. Totally worth the commission to keep my potential players from straying off. Then, the bigger sites would send me the 'free' players coming from keywords that don't have my domain name in them. Best of both worlds.

[CK]

I normally agree with you Jess but I think your way off here.

Second, there is brand recognition in it for you. Players don't understand affiliate terms and use of tld, they do understand popularity. Type Twilight Movie into Google and see how many sites have Twilight in their domain. Lots of fan sites = this must be good. No fan sites = this must suck. From a players perspective, sites with your domain name in the tld get recognized as fan type sites, which means they think people like you.

I think that's totally different than a poker room, and possibly the wrong niche to compare it to. Twilight was branded by the movie, the ads, the books - not fan sites. The fan sites didn't come along until after the movie went huge and people realized they could capitalize off the popularity of it. If a no-name poker room or a small one on a network comes along - people don't care whether there is a "fan" site or a portal providing the information. If anything a "fan" site looks cheesy and in most cases makes an attempt to deceive the player into thinking they are part of the poker room (and in some cases will go as far as to mask players into believing that they are the poker room).

These small sites that you think are branding the rooms through the use of the domain in the tld aren't at all. They receive branding through the bigger sites, players and information portals. If you own bestcakepokerbonuscodeever.com (example obv) and rank well for cake poker and cake poker bonus whatever. How do you think a player found you and your bestcakepokerbonussite.com. The flashy ads they have on tv --oh wait there isn't any - the big media hype or live events - oh wait non of that either. Players know about these small rooms through word of mouth, and advertising on affiliate sites as well as the poker rooms media campaign if they have one. It's unlikely (although not impossible) that they found the domain website through other terms, but imho most of the players learn about the small poker rooms through the information sites that give back additional value. thebestcakepokersignupcode.com does not give the same level of value as an information portal

It really comes down to this. If you do a shitty job on your own site and need weak competition, don't allow us to use your domain. If you do a good job with your site, these types of sites are good for you, leave them alone.

These domains aren't good for the room or for existing affiliate. I bet ya certain poker sites have lost millions over the last two years through these types of sites not to mention the amount of money affiliates have taken from each other. Once allowed its an uphill battle to control and its nice to see sites like Bet365 that do not allow these sites period. I totally agree that most poker sites do a terrible job with respect to their affiliate programs and their main website. Even the stars site could step it up a notch, but that doesn't mean it makes them weak by not allowing you to use their domain name for your site. It protects them is what it does.

If I ran an affiliate program you all would hate me lol because the majority of the stuff affiliates are able to get away with that is costing the rooms money would be gone. It's silly to allow it. I'm not saying affiliates should or shouldn't be doing it. I said the same thing to Ridge lastnight, most affiliates who think they are sending in new players, likely aren't, and are making their money based off of the work of other affiliates or from the poker room - especially bonus code affiliates. If your only angle is to target the users who are steps away from making a deposit and find a "do you have a xxxx marketing/referral code enter it here" - then no you are not providing any value to the poker rooms, the programs or other affiliates. Does that mean I don't or wont target bonus terms myself - of course not - I know it works and will continue to do so until it doesn't, but I don't want that to be the only angle I work with with.

Hopefully that makes sense and not trying to derail this thread - because Todd really didn't want this type of post but I thought you were slightly harsh on Simon - Maybe having the mods separate the threads into two would be good to.

Small poker rooms say they prefer that visitors go to PL because it gives them access to players they wouldn't normally have. Yeah, but your little poker room doesn't rank at PL, meaning that all they're really doing is telling people NOT to play at your site.

I agree with this though

[jdwanchalk]

nvm