In the world of casino affiliation, online casinos work with the affiliates to essentially advertise and promote that online casino. One of the most effective ways of doing this is through writing reviews of online slots. Reviews have the power to shape and influence someone’s opinion, so naturally, they are a great way to promote the product.
More recently, there have been debates across the affiliation industry if these reviews have been taken seriously or just thrown together for a quick payout. With debates varying from laziness on the part of casino affiliates to others arguing that online slot reviews have become even more thorough – the question remains.
Have casino affiliates been slacking off in regards to their reviews, or has the industry standard improved even more? Of course, there are two sides to this debate and that’s exactly what’s going to be discussed in this article.
Defending casino reviews
The world of the internet and online casinos are radically growing every year, so naturally, this comes with even more expectations with what is being delivered. In the early days of the internet, affiliates could get away with simple paragraph reviews of online slots – but this is no longer viable. Reviews are expected to be at least a full page worth of details on the slot covering everything from the features to design.
Accurate research
Alongside the extensive reviews, readers expect accurate research and data into the slot. This includes details such as the correct RTP, the correct payout figures, the correct volatility level and the correct bet levels just to name a few. Readers can be fooled once into believing a poor review, but they will suddenly realise if the facts are inaccurate as soon as they start playing.
Ultimately, this will lead to a loss of confidence in the brand and leads the reader to look elsewhere. This is why it’s so important that the research is precise without any errors, or the reader will look for a casino affiliate that provides valid details.
“Accuracy is an important step in the process of our reviews and the first thing we do is check the slot developer’s website to get the details straight from the horse’s mouth,” said the team at Slot Gods, one of the leading sources of independent bias-free online slot reviews. “Often, the developers have the details in a press release or even alongside a demo of the slot on their website – the developers want to ensure that they have the correct information as inaccuracy will only hurt their own brand in the long run.”
Furthermore, Slot Gods stated that if the developers don’t have the details of the slot then it might be worth contacting them directly, as sometimes they will be able to grant access to their client areas that host game assets and data.
Honest reviews
An opinion is somebody’s own judgement that is formed from their experience and the readers can often see straight through a blatant lie. Whilst this may sound like something incredibly easy – it can actually be quite difficult for casino affiliates to give their full honest opinion on a review. Thankfully, a majority of reviews do seem to be candid and sincere. Readers are incredibly intelligent and it wouldn’t take long for them to realise that an online slot isn’t as good as the review stated.
Similarly, people can immediately point out a review that is just a full promotional piece for a brand. For example, if most of the reviews on a site have an overwhelmingly positive verdict with no constructive criticism, then the reader will not be able to trust the reviewer’s words. In this case, all the signs point towards an advertisement for the slot instead of an honest review.
Slot Gods state: “For all of our reviews, we make sure that they are thoroughly tested and that the review given is the opinion of the writer. We encourage our writers to present their own judgements – even if it’s not necessarily the best outcome for the slot and developer.”
Where casino reviews fall short
As the internet is such a huge and vast space, not all casino affiliates will take their slot reviews seriously. Unfortunately, there have been a few examples of bad habits such as blatant copying of reviews or even reviews that definitely do not seem impartial and instead feel like a direct promotional piece instead.
When online slot reviews are copied from another affiliate site, this is where the big issues come in. Not only is the review not original or formed from an actual opinion on the slot, but there are certain details that are copied by others that could be inaccurate. This is where misleading information is put forward and the wrong details are spread across the internet. It’s easy for someone to get inaccurate information, but the facts should be double-checked through verified sources and not just copied without a single thought.
The same goes for reviews that just act as an advertisement for the slot instead of an actual review. Some casino affiliates will want to remain on the ‘good side’ of certain casinos and developers, therefore they present a profusely positive review without a second thought. Just because a review isn’t positive, it doesn’t mean that the review is fully negative. The best reviews come from balance and honest opinions, but this sometimes slips through for certain affiliates.
Are casino affiliates actually taking their slot reviews seriously?
It’s clear to see that a huge majority of casino affiliates do take their review seriously with sincere opinions – but there is a small number of affiliates that do fall into the bad habits of slacking when it comes to reviews. In an ideal world, all the casino affiliates take their reviews seriously and focus on facts rather than conversion, but with the vast landscape of the internet – it’s unlikely that this will fully happen.
The standard of reviews has increased tremendously within the last few years, but there will always be casino affiliates that deliver biased reviews that seem forced. As mentioned previously, this is a small minority and this tactic tends to only work in the short-term. For a prolonged and enduring marketing tactic, casino affiliates just need to take their reviews seriously by making them honest and accurate as this will build up trust from the reader.