How do I know that the APCW is trustworthy?

The people running the APCW are widely known in the industry. Many prominent people (such as casino owners, affiliate managers, webmasters, and other industry professionals) have know the people who run the APCW and worked with them for years. We provide many ways to contact us via email, direct mail, and over the phone upon request.

We frequently meet our members at major conferences, and we have partnered with great sites such as Casino Affiliate Programs, the Casino Affiliate Convention, iGaming Business, and other Media and Web Partners.

We do understand, however, that in a business like this there is a need for an extraordinary level of openness. The APCW is accessible to you and will make every attempt to be as transparent as possible.

Should you have any questions about us, simply asking people you trust in the industry should get you your answers. =0)

Is the APCW owned by any Casino or Casino Group?

No way! The APCW was developed and is managed by gaming webmasters. The concept of the APCW was formed after many conversations with fellow webmasters and affiliate managers about how to create a beneficial organization for the entire industry.

How do we know when the APCW conducts audits?

When the APCW audits a Member Program, we will release that information one way or another... whether the results were positively or negatively viewed. For example, if an APCW Member has a good audit, we will publish the results and that program can use our data in it's marketing efforts. If an APCW Member has an audit that's not flattering, they are given a limited time (usually 5 to 15 days) to investigate the issues, solve the problems, and prepare a statement before we release our data.

When the APCW audits a non-Member Program, you will only see the results for issues which need to be reported. Why? Because the APCW is a service oriented business dealing with integrity and quality control. We gather data and conduct investigations at our expense for the service of our members and the industry. A casino or affiliate program has every right to to decide that they do not want to work with us. However, we cannot afford professional considerations to programs who choose not support our efforts when our members faithfully do.

How do we know these audits are fair?

1. Our auditors are carefully screened about their online gaming experience and the history of their machines.
2. Our auditors are real customers and selected from a variety of locations all over the world.
3. Prior to the actual visit, auditors are instructed in the cleaning of their registry.
4. Prior to the actual visit, auditors are instructed to delete all cookies.
5. Each auditor is given detailed instructions on how to correctly conduct an audit.
6. Auditors are instructed to take screen captures of landing pages, downloads, and the registration of a real account.
7. In the event their is a negative experience during an audit, we ask another auditor to try the site again. If both auditors experience the same problem, our Auditing Director will investigate and share the results with APCW Administration before deciding the best course of action.
8. Once we have decided to report audit findings, we share the report with the casino program before we publish it.
9. In the event a negative report is published, sites are more than welcome to address each point of the audits in the same forum and thread where the audit is posted. This also gives them the chance to give an unedited explanation to the webmaster membership.

Is the APCW a "policing agency" or "industry watchdog" ?

We make no claim to be a "watchdog" group, although some may argue that we are. Our professional philosophy is that we are not here to pass judgment on programs. In fact, we strongly believe that we are not in business to tell others how to run their businesses. Rather, we simply provide tools and services to members, and information and marketing data for casino and affiliate programs. We hope that by doing so, players can make more educated decisions about where to play, webmasters are more successful with their efforts and partnerships, and casinos and affiliate programs gain trust by demonstrating their commitment to transparency and integrity.

Is the APCW a player or webmaster advocacy group?

We do not consider ourselves an "advocacy group". However, we are certainly not opposed to public and/or private actions in defense of our membership. We will also inform our members of our professional opinions if we are strongly convicted to do so and believe that action is in their best interest. We will attempt to convey only factual concerns, allowing others to draw their own conclusions.