'Consultation over the Gambling Introductory Offer Loopholes board' blog discussion

chompie

Lost_a_lot_of_cash wrote: »

You taking a cut too Martin ?

Thinly veiled, Hi all from TGT.

darloscot

I disagree with some of the sugestions of having a board that covers only the most basic of British sign ups, and nothing else. What will happen on a board like that? There will be no community as the offers will be completed in a few weeks! There will be no experienced posters left as we will all leave as we get nothing out of the board. The remaining newbies will have no one to consult with and will make mistakes. It will end in tears. For the forum to work it must offer newbies and experienced match better something.

There are three options.
1. Leave it as it is.
2. Split into different sections, with some sort of "qualification" for fuller access to a greater range of offers.
3. Close it down (hopefully at least leaving the archive intacted for reference).

Option 1 is not acceptable due to the image of this being a gambling forum with the wider MSE population, and potentially the press. Option 2 begs the question over who decides when someone can get access. Too complicated. Which leaves option 3. I think Martin already has decided this, he is just running his PR machine to limit the damage, and perhaps more charitably to allow us to find an alternative home.

darloscot

Oh, and another benificiary will be Fix The Odds, a site that take a cut from your referral fees. I started by reading a newspaper article about Fix the odds. I then came here after realising that I was effectively paying for poor information, when good information was freely available!

meher

Late_To_Bed wrote: »

It's like closing all the pubs because 0.01% os an alcoholic.

Is it a like with like cmparison though? I would've thought otherwise because the pub is managed by staff exlcusively for the pubgoers not to mention the licenscing and other regulations that keep it strictly on check - as it stands, the giol is free standing with users exercising free will. It might be seen as being rekcless to be left open to legal and social risks that comes with it's popularity and I suspect that's the moot point.

woodcroft

It is all a bit Peter Mandelson-esque, dropping a bomb like this 3 weeks before our most profitable event of the year.

No need to make any decision if we all take the massive hint and do one. The damage is now done, the knowledgeable will now start to disappear just as us GIOL noobs are starting to get stuck in.

I remember when Martin set up MSE, short trousers and all. It was about Savvy moneysaving. You know, putting a bit of effort in, sharing knowledge, standing up for your rights as a consumer and ultimately taking responsibility for your own actions.

As I said before, GIOL [STRIKE]is[/STRIKE] was the epitome of this ethos.

It would appear that MSE is populated by a vocal minority of the hard of thinking who cannot see past the GAMBLING word.

Good work.

vroom3

Nothing on this board is without risk if we examine things really closely;

• ICESAVE

• Tesco Competitor Vouchers/10% Cheaper challenge

• Crown Currency Exchange!!

All the above have been recommended and openly discussed in different forums previously by many posters.

In contrast GIOL has reams of information to educate and inform. That didnt exist for the money I lost in CCE - but I am a grown adult and accept my own consequences for what I do.

GIOL may have teething issues - but a cure not kill approach is needed.

alanshave

I'd question whether most of the people calling for it to close down have actually ever used the wealth of information in the forum to make risk free money to supplement their income. Very easy to call for something to be deleted if it doesn't benefit you personally in any way.

I for one continue only to dip in and out, but even as a minimum the William Hill risk free threads are worth £20 a week...

Agreed that the info within is complex, and perhaps removing from this website and exporting elsewhere is the best deal. A lot of people have put effort into developing that area, it would be a shame to see it disappear.

eastcdo

Sad to say it but it's time to close it. The forum has changed over the last year or so, people are not taking the time or effort to understand an offer but looking for a quick fix and that will end in tears.
Equally if you were Martin and relying on extensive affiliate links in every weekly email (over 50 in last week's email) would you want to associate your brand with gambling and the risk of a novice making an expensive mistake - I doubt it and for that reason as much as any other I think that GIOL will not continue in it's current form for much longer.

Joto_2

Wow! In haven't read the blog and I've only quickly scanned the comments. But it looks like MSE may be finally joining the nanny state and it looks like it's more aware of it's marketing appeal and less on fighting it's legal stance.
I must admit I don't know all the pro's and con's regarding the board and I would hate to think that someone who really needed the extra income has lost money they badly needed, but I do know I need to take responsibility for my actions. I would like to think any decision I make good or bad is my decision and any error I make is mine and mine alone. Surely when you have read all the advice and asked all the questions and it comes with a pretty big warning! you make an educated decision whether to proceed or not? Unfortunately the norm these days is to blame or to sue someone else if something goes wrong and as we are all aware, it's more often than not cheaper and quicker to settle out of court than to take the moral stand so I can understand Martin bowing to pressure even if I don't like it.

chompie

byebye GIOL.

byebye lots of traffic...