I’ve been told Freak wanted to write the community guidelines personally since he is, and I quote, “the captain of this ship.” I agree with that statement, so I’ll take a step back and allow our Captain to tell us what’s what on this alleged maritime transport vehicle.
Why Does Our Community Need Guidelines?
Now, I’m not exactly fond of the concept of “rules,” but we can’t all thrive in chaos, and my colleagues seem to need some structure here and there.
And since I’m exceptionally grateful to the CasinoFreak team for all their efforts, I’m putting down a list of reasonable rules for our community. Some rules are meant to be broken, indeed, but not these ones. Because these are meant to:
Avoid toxicity.
I encourage mutual help and respect and will not tolerate empty negativity, offensive language, or harmful advice. On our site, we treat each other with kindness and work toward building a friendly and pleasant atmosphere.
Keep our members safe.
Seas are full of pirates, and our community must respect these rules so they can maintain their and others’ safety. The only place suitable for bullying, discrimination, harassment, or exploitation is the bottom of the ocean.
Help build a relationship of trust.
When accessing CasinoFreak, our community needs to know they’re among friends. I need all our readers to behave consistently and contribute truthfully and reliably.
Allow everyone to speak their mind.
By employing our rules, our community can feel free to offer their genuine input and be sure that their voices are heard, and their issues are taken seriously.
Your Privileges on CasinoFreak
As a member of CasinoFreak, you get to engage with the site in the following ways:
- Create an account where you can manage your contributions.
- Rate and review casino brands, reply to other players’ reviews or mark them as helpful.
- Rate guides and other articles as helpful or not.
- Contact us via online form, e-mail, or social media.
Our members receive the following benefits:
- The guarantee that, as long as you follow these guidelines, no one will ever adjust or delete your contribution to paint a more positive image of a certain gambling product.
- Timely fixes of any inaccuracies or mistakes you spot throughout our site, along with our gratitude for helping us out.
- Timely replies to your issues or concerns regarding our website.
- A platform where a few minutes of your time will help hundreds of other players make better gambling decisions.
- Bragging rights for being a member of the coolest gambling community on the internet.
Your Rules of Conduct
We can’t stall this any longer, so here are your rules of conduct that I expect you to abide by and know by heart in case I’m ever in the mood for a flash quiz.
See? It requires a bit more typing, but the second review will definitely help more players than the first one. And, who knows, if you’re detailing your issues, maybe a lurking casino representative could help you.
- Keep it civil.
Obviously, keep all communications with other members and our staff respectful. Don’t use offensive and discriminatory language, don’t launch personal attacks against other players, don’t spread hate.
There are healthy ways to express disappointment or anger, and using profanity in your reviews won’t solve your issue. Remember that our community managers and moderators are, technically, at work, so don’t say anything you wouldn’t say in your office.
- Don’t be a troll.
Underage gambling is forbidden, so our community is adult-only. This means there is no reason for any of you to post fake reviews, irrelevant jokes, gibberish, or links to your cousins’ mixtapes.
Reviews are meant to be helpful and relevant to a specific casino. If you want to be funny, come work for us.
- Adopt a constructive attitude.
I’m not here to police anyone’s tone, and I won’t tell you to look at the silver lining. If a casino brand has wronged you, you have every right to leave a negative review. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to do that.
Don’t
“This is the worst casino I’ve ever played in, no one should ever create an account, and I stand by this statement”
Do
“I’ve closed my account in this casino after playing for almost a year. The customer service team takes way too long to respond and seldom manages to solve my issues in a satisfactory manner. Payouts take a lot longer than I would expect from a modern casino, and it feels like they never add any new games. I would recommend you choose another brand, especially if you’re a beginner.”
See? It requires a bit more typing, but the second review will definitely help more players than the first one. And, who knows, if you’re detailing your issues, maybe a lurking casino representative could help you.
-
Don’t post external links.
You won’t be able to do it, anyway. The only links we permit in community reviews are towards other CasinoFreak pages. You won’t be able to post links to obscene or adult content or irrelevant pages, promote your business, or scam other players.
Moreover, don’t post your phone number, claiming you can teach players how to beat wagering requirements, don’t ask for personal information, and don’t provide your own. Otherwise, down to the depths!
Our Community Goal
If you've read so far, you might think these rules are meant to foster review sections that only serve as additional advertising. And I would commend your vigilance, but there's a different, much bigger goal here.
Problem gamblers have to battle an acute social stigma due to the condition being publicly perceived as caused by personal failures. One reason why gambling addiction can cause such devastating harm is that it's isolating.
Online gambling communities need to assume personal responsibility for changing things. Gamblers need to educate and uplift other gamblers. We have to have each other's backs and let each other know when we spot any danger.
First of all, if you're underage
We, obviously, urge you not to engage in any form of gambling if you're not of legal age, as regulated by your jurisdiction. We'd also like you to know that, depending on your country, you may face penalties ranging from fines up to some jail time.
But, most importantly, teenagers are three to four times more likely to develop a gambling addiction, which will get them into so much trouble. If you're bored with nothing to do, why don't you try games that teach you how to code?
How Can Adults Help Up Achieve Our Goal
Now, if your being here won't cause anyone any trouble, here are some ways in which you can promote responsible gambling and create a safer space for other players.
- Don't include financial details in your reviews. Whether you want to share the excitement of a win or point to a breach of policy, we don't need to know the numbers. It's enough if you mention whether it was sizeable compared to your financial situation.
- Do mention in your review details regarding responsible gambling tools. We want to know whether casinos offer ample support and resources and how difficult it was for you to access and set limits, reminders, or request a time-out.
- Be ruthless about any unethical behaviour. Make sure to spread the word and report the casino to all relevant authorities. Let players know whether a brand does not respect self-exclusion schemes, advertises itself to vulnerable groups, or makes it hard for players to act responsibly.
Keeping Yourself Safe
Our team pays close attention to submissions and will promptly remove personal or sensitive information, including:
- Real names, IDs, and passport information.
- Private contact information and addresses.
- Online login information (such as usernames and passwords).
- Details regarding the private life of the contributor or other people.
- Personal financial or medical details.
We don’t share your e-mail address with third parties and only allow access to your data for a dedicated team trained in adequately handling private information.
Beware of Phishing and Scams
Sometimes, malicious content slips between our fingers, so it’s important that our readers stay vigilant and promptly report any suspicious activity.
If you notice user-submitted content that goes against our community guidelines, please contact us so we can assess the situation and remove the submission, if necessary.
What to do with your CasinoFreak password
Make sure it’s strong enough, using uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Keep it to yourself and never share it with other members, your friends, or anyone pretending they’re customer service. Our staff will never ask for your password.
Your Member Pledge
To officially join the CasinoFreak community, you must read the following pledge.
“I, [your name here], acknowledge that my role as a CasinoFreak member is to contribute to this community’s defining role. I will preserve vigilance and use the knowledge given to me by this community to accurately and truthfully review the gambling products hereby presented to me.
I recognise my personal safety and well-being as a priority and declare my commitment to upholding ethical and responsible gambling principles. May we not walk the plank!”