Pressure Mounts for Microgaming to Pay Prive Players

by Devon Chappell, News Staff Writer

April 10, 2009

If you had the pleasure to attend this year's Casino Affiliate Conference in Amsterdam, you would have surely recognized the heavy presence of the Microgaming software brand on the exhibition floor. For those who were not in attendance, let's just say that Microgaming was the subject of many an affiliate conversation - and continues to be on the leading online casino portals and internet betting news/information sites.

There is no denying the fact that Microgaming is one of the pioneer software developers, having powered some of the very first and most successful online casinos and poker rooms since the nineties. Over the years, Microgaming has received numerous "Best Software" awards from online journals, magazines and other respected industry bodies.

And God knows what the bulk of U.S. online gamblers would have done if Microgaming decided to back out of the U.S. market at the same time as Playtech and Cryptologic. It certainly would have been a huge mess. My point is that Microgaming certainly deserves some credit for hanging in there as long as they did.

And now to my other point: As much respect and credit Microgaming has with players and the online gaming sector at large, including the thousands of affiliates who promote and play at their online casino licensees, the unanimous sentiment with affiliates and players is that Microgaming still needs to do some serious damage control regarding the Grand Prive debacle if they want to keep their golden reputation, if you will.

For all you players who didn't hear already and who therefore have not been affected by these events, Grand Prive was a licensed group of online casinos who went bankrupt shortly after Microgaming pulled out of the U.S. market. That, in turn, has resulted in many players being left in the dark and owed their due finances. And thus far, Microgaming hasn't stepped in like they did before to help these players get paid out. Once again, another case for regulation in the U.S. - but that's another story.

So, while Microgaming isn't directly responsible for the failures of the Grand Prive group of online casinos (although Grand Prive might beg to differ), considering their status in the gaming industry (which is essentially at the top of the food chain), not to mention their financial stability, pressure is definitely mounting on Microgaming to rectify the matter and pay these players their rightful earnings. The ball is in your court, Microgaming.

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