Party Gaming recently made online gambling headlines when they agreed to buyout Empire Online, thus getting Empire's full database of poker players who have already been using the Party Poker skin through Empire Online's website.  Now the online gambling company is making headlines again after they have defiantly claimed they will not honor the affiliate contracts that were made by Empire, when it was on its own.

According to the acquisition terms, Party Gaming gets full ownership of Empire Online for $250 million, and includes a full migration to a consolidated gambling platform of the thousands of poker players who originally signed up with Empire.  However, also in the terms of the buyout is a clause that will not honor any affiliate relationships of previous players, which the affiliates are crying out against since they were promised to receive compensation from the revenue created by any players brought into the poker room for the life of that players account.

Mixed in the middle of all this is Casino Affiliate Programs - the highly respected and well known affiliate resource site responsible for mediating many of the affiliate relationships with Party Gaming.  Casino Affiliate Programs is now fighting back, which President Lou Fabiano, initiated with a press release detailing the default of Party Gaming's agreement with Casino Affiliate Programs, as well as announcing the suspension of the Party Partners Affiliate Certification. 

Until Party Gaming agrees to accept the Empire Online affiliate relationships, which would simply entail transferring player accounts to Party Gaming's new platform, Fabiano says that affiliates will be strongly urged to cease promoting any of Party Gaming's clients whatsoever. Party Gaming has not replied to the press release as of yet, which is sure to elicit a response very soon.