Monthly Archives: December 2022

In the 4th century BC, the Greek philosopher Plato theorised that humans do not perceive the world as it really is. All we can see is shadows on a wall. In 2003, the Swedish philosopher Nick Bostrom published a paper which formalised an argument to prove Plato was right. The paper argued that one of the following three statements is true:

1. We will go extinct fairly soon

2. Advanced civilisations dont produce simulations containing entities which think they are naturally-occurring sentient intelligences. (This could be because it is impossible.)

3. We are in a simulation

The reason for this is that if it is possible, and civilisations can become advanced without self-destructing, then there will be an enormous number of simulations, and it is vanishingly unlikely that any randomly selected civilisation (like us) is a naturally-occurring one.

Some people like me find this argument pretty convincing. As we will hear later, some of us have added twists. But some people go even further, and speculate about how we might bust out of the simulation.

One such person is Roman Yampolskiy, a computer scientist at the University of Louisville, and director of a cyber-security lab. He has just published a paper (here) in which he views the challenge of busting out of the simulation through the lens of cyber security. The paper starts from the hypothesis that we are in a simulation and asks if we can do something about it. The paper is a first step: it doesnt aim to provide a working solution. He explains his thinking in the latest episode of The London Futurist Podcast.

Roman is pretty convinced that we are in a simulation, for a number of reasons. Quantum physics observer effects remind him of how in video games, graphics are only rendered if a players is looking at the environment. Evolutionary algorithms dont work well after a week or two, which suggests that engineering is required to generate sufficiently complex agents. And the hard problem of consciousness becomes easier if you consider us as players in a simulation.

Some people think the simulation hypothesis is time-wasting and meaningless because it could never be tested, but Roman argues it is possible to bring the hypothesis into the domain of science using approaches from cyber security and AI safety. For instance, the idea of AI boxing isolating a superintelligent AI to prevent it from causing harm is simply inverted by the simulation hypothesis, placing us inside the box instead of a superintelligence. He thinks we should allocate as much intellectual effort to busting out of the simulation as we do to the hypothesis itself.

Most people who have looked at it in detail argue that AI boxing is impractical, but Roman speculates that analysing the hypothesis might either teach us how to escape, or how to prevent an AI from escaping. That is probably not a true parallel, though. The AI in a box is much smarter than us, whereas we are presumably much less smart than our simulators.

An AI in a box will plead with us, cajole us, and threaten us very convincingly. Can we do these things to our simulators? Pleading doesnt seem to work, and the simulators also dont seem to care about the suffering within the world they have simulated. This makes you wonder about their motivations, and perhaps fear them. Lots of possible motivations have been suggested, including entertainment, and testing a scientific hypothesis.

We do have one advantage over the simulators. They have to foil all our attempts to escape, whereas we only have to succeed one time. This makes Roman optimistic about escape in the long term. But perhaps the simulators would reset the universe if they see us trying to escape, re-winding it to before that point.

To paraphrase what Woody Allen once said about God, the trouble with the simulators is they are under-achievers. Either they dont care about immense injustice and suffering, or they are unable to prevent it. Some people find this existence of suffering (what theologians call the Problem of Evil) to be an argument against the simulation hypothesis. One (perhaps rather callous) way to escape the Problem of Evil in the hypothesis is to posit that the people who we observe to be suffering terribly are actually analogous to non-player characters in a video game.

In fact, if we do live in a simulation, it is likely that a great deal of our universe is painted in. This can lead you to solipsism, the idea that you are the only person who really exists.

The simulation hypothesis may be the best explanation of the Fermi Paradox. Enrico Fermi, a 20th century physicist, asked why, in a vast universe with billions of galaxies that is 13.7 billion years old, we have never seen a signal from another intelligent civilisation. An advanced civilisation could, for instance, periodically occlude a star with large satellites in order to send a signal. Travelling at the speed of light, this signal would cross our galaxy in a mere 100,000 years, just 0.0007% of the universes history. So why dont we see any signals?

One suggestion is that we are being quarantined until we are more mature like the prime directive in Star Trek. But it seems implausible that 100% of civilisations would obey any such rule or norm for billions of years. An alternative explanation is that the arrival of superintelligence is always fatal, but if so, why would the superintelligences also always go extinct?

The Dark Forest scenario posits that every advanced civilisation keeps quiet because they fear malevolent actors. But in a sufficiently large population of intelligences, some would surely be nonchalant, negligent, or just plain arrogant enough to breach this rule. After all, we ourselves have sent signals, and there are still people who want to do so. Other civilisations might send signals because they are going extinct from causes they cannot stop, and they want to broadcast that they did exist, or to ask for help.

It is not hard to conclude that the universe is empty of intelligent life apart from us, which would be explained by the simulation hypothesis.

It may be that the purpose of our simulation, if indeed we are in one, is to discover the best way to create superintelligence. The current moment is the most significant in all human history, and the odds against having been born at just that time are staggering. Of course, somebody had to be, but for any random person, the chances are tiny. So maybe the simulators have only modelled this particular time in this particular part of a universe, and all the rest both time and space is painted in.

In which case, the purpose of the simulation may be something to do with the run-up to the creation of superintelligence. Perhaps the simulators are working out the best way to create a friend, or a colleague. Maybe there are millions of similar simulations in process, and they are creating an army, or a party. I call this the Economic Twist to the simulation hypothesis, and you can read it in full here.

Elon Musk is on record saying that we are almost certainly living in a simulation, so perhaps Roman should pitch him for funds to help bust us out. We may never find out what is really going on, but perhaps the answer is provided by Elons Razor - the hypothesis that whatever is the most entertaining explanation is probably the correct one.

Roman concludes that if he disappears one day, then we should conclude that he has managed to bust out. If he reappears, it was just a temporary Facebook ban.

The London Futurist Podcast

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Are We Living In A Simulation? Can We Break Out Of It?

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Macau – United States Department of State

Posted: at 9:51 pm

Transparency of the Regulatory System

The GOM has transparent policies and laws that establish clear rules and do not unnecessarily impede investment. The basic elements of a competition policy are set out in Macaus Commercial Code.

The GOM will normally conduct a three-month public consultation when amending or making legislation, including investment laws, and will prepare a draft bill based on the results of the public consultation. The lawmakers will discuss the draft bill before putting it to a final vote. All of the processes are transparent and consistent with international norms.

Public comments received by the GOM are not made available online to the public. The draft bills are made available at the Legislative Assemblys website (http://www.al.gov.mo/zh/), while this website http://www.io.gov.mo/ links to the GOMs Printing Bureau, which publishes laws, rules, and procedures.

Macaus anti-corruption agency the Commission Against Corruption (known by its Portuguese acronym CCAC) carries out ombudsman functions to safeguard rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests of individuals and to ensure the impartiality and efficiency of public administration.

Macaus law on the budgetary framework (Decree 15/2017) aims to reinforce monitoring of public finances and to enhance transparency in the preparation and execution of the fiscal budget.

Macau does not owe debt to any countries. The public can retrieve up-to-date data on public finance from the Financial Services Bureau website https://www.dsf.gov.mo/financialReport/?lang=en at all times.

International Regulatory Considerations

Macau is a member of WTO and adopts international norms. The GOM notified all draft technical regulations to the WTO Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade.

Macau, as a signatory to the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), has achieved a 100 percent rate of implementation commitments.

Legal System and Judicial Independence

Under one country, two systems, Macau maintains Continental European law as the foundation of its legal system, which is based on the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. The current judicial process is procedurally competent, fair, and reliable. Macau has a written commercial law and contract law. The Commercial Code is a comprehensive source of commercial law, while the Civil Code serves as a fundamental source of contractual law. Courts in Macau include the Court of Final Appeal, Intermediate Courts, and Primary Courts. There is also an Administrative Court, which has jurisdiction over administrative and tax cases. These provide an effective means for enforcing property and contractual rights. At present, the Court of Final Appeal has three judges; the Intermediate Courts have nine judges; and the Primary Courts have 33 judges. The Public Prosecutions Office has 38 prosecutors.

Macau passed a National Security Law in 2009 that prohibits and punishes crimes against national security, including treason, secession, sedition, subversion, theft of state secrets, and collusion with foreign political organizations. Preparatory acts leading to any of these crimes may also constitute a criminal offence.

Macaus courts still have jurisdiction over all local cases except those related to defense and foreign affairs. The 2009 National Security Law did not affect this jurisdiction.

Laws and Regulations on Foreign Direct Investment

Macaus legal system is based on the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. Foreign and domestic companies register under the same rules and are subject to the same set of commercial and bankruptcy laws (Decree 40/99/M).

Competition and Antitrust Laws

Macau has no agency that reviews transactions for competition-related concerns, nor does it have a competition law. The Commercial Code (Law No. 16/2009) contains basic elements of a competition policy for commercial practices that can distort the proper functioning of markets. In response to public outcries of price-fixing schemes in the Macau oil and food retail industries, in March 2019, the GOM commissioned Macau University of Science and Technology to conduct research on how to optimize market institutions to help foster healthy private sector competition. The research results were released to the public in May 2020. Based on this research, the GOM claimed that a legislative solution such as an anti-monopoly or anti-trust law would not necessarily bring about lower prices. Rather, the GOM appointed the Macau Consumer Council to monitor the local market prices and determine when the need for new legislation on market competition is warranted.

Expropriation and Compensation

The U.S. Consulate General is not aware of any direct or indirect actions to expropriate. Legal expropriations of private property may occur if it is in the public interest. In such cases, the GOM will exchange the private property with an equivalent public property based on the fair market value and conditions of the former. The exchange of property is in accordance with established principles of international law. There is no remunerative compensation.

Dispute Settlement

ICSID Convention and New York Convention

Both the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States (ICSID Convention) and the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (New York Convention) apply to Macau. The Law on International Commercial Arbitration (Decree 55/98/M) provides for enforcement of awards under the 1958 New York Convention.

Investor-State Dispute Settlement

The U.S. Consulate General is aware of one previous investment dispute involving U.S. or other foreign investors or contractors and the GOM. In March 2010, a low-cost airline carrier was reportedly forced to cancel flight services because of a credit dispute with its fuel provider, triggering events which led to the airlines de-licensing. Macau courts declared the airline bankrupt in September 2010. The airlines major shareholder, a U.S. private investment company, filed a case in the Macau courts seeking a judgment as to whether a GOM administrative act led to the airlines demise. The Court of Second Instance held hearings in May and June 2012. In November 2013, the Court of Second Instance rejected the appeal. Private investment disputes are normally handled in the courts or via private negotiation. Alternatively, disputes may be referred to the Hong Kong International Arbitration Center or the World Trade Center Macau Arbitration Center. The Arrangement for Mutual Service of Judicial Documents in Civil and Commercial Cases between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macau Special Administrative Region came into effect in August 2020, significantly accelerating the service of such judicial documents between two regions.

International Commercial Arbitration and Foreign Courts

Macau has an arbitration law (Decree 55/98/M), which adopts the UN Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) model law for international commercial arbitration. The GOM accepts international arbitration of investment disputes between itself and investors. Local courts recognize and enforce foreign arbitral awards. The GOM in May 2020 enacted the New Arbitration Law, which unifies the laws governing domestic and international arbitration in Macau. This arbitration reform incorporated best international practices with effective dispute resolution techniques for investment disputes, including the introduction of emergency arbitrator mechanism, limitation on rights of appeal, procedure for courts assistance in taking of evidence, recognition and enforcement of interim measures, and publication of arbitral awards.

Macau established the World Trade Center Macau Arbitration Center in June 1998. The objective of the Center is to promote the resolution of disputes through arbitration and conciliation, providing the disputing parties with alternative resolutions other than judicial litigation.

Foreign judgments in civil and commercial matters may be enforced in Macau. The enforcement of foreign judgments is stipulated in Articles 1199 and 1200 of the Civil Procedure Code. A foreign court decision will be recognized and enforced in Macau if it qualifies as a final decision supported by authentic documentation and that its enforcement will not breach Macaus public policy.

Bankruptcy Regulations

Commercial and bankruptcy laws are written under the Macau Commercial Code, the Civil Procedure Code, and the Penal Code. Bankruptcy proceedings can be invoked by an application from the bankrupt business, by petition of the creditor, or by the Public Prosecutor. There are four methods used to prevent the occurrence of bankruptcy: the creditors meeting, the audit of the companys assets, the amicable settlement, and the creditor agreement. According to Articles 615-618 of the Civil Code and Article 351-353 of the Civil Procedure Code, a creditor who has a justified fear of losing the guarantee of his credits may request seizure of the assets of the debtor. Bankruptcy offenses are subject to criminal liability.

There is no credit bureau or other credit monitoring authority serving Macaus market.

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Macau - United States Department of State

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TikTok owner ByteDance takes first step into virtual reality with …

Posted: December 26, 2022 at 10:34 pm

A visitor tries out a VR headset at the booth of Pico Technology during the China 5G and Industrial Internet Conference on Nov. 19, 2020 in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China. ByteDance has made its first foray into virtual reality (VR) through the acquisition of start-up Pico.

Zhang Canlong | Visual China Group | Getty Images

GUANGZHOU, China TikTok owner ByteDance has made its first foray into virtual reality (VR) through the acquisition of a start-up called Pico.

Beijing-headquartered ByteDance did not disclose the size of the deal but said in a statement that Pico's "comprehensive suite of software and hardware technologies, as well as the talent and deep expertise of the team, will support both our entry to the VR space and long-term investment in this emerging field."

Pico was the third-largest virtual reality headset maker globally in the first quarter of 2021, with shipments growing 44.7% year-on-year, according to IDC.

ByteDance found success with short video app TikTok and Chinese version Douyin, as well as news aggregation app Toutiao.

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TikTok owner ByteDance takes first step into virtual reality with ...

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Two biotech CEOs charged with defrauding investors – UPI.com

Posted: at 10:30 pm

The Justice Department announced Tuesday that two biotech chief executive officers have been indicted for their roles in defrauding investors in CytoDyn, a company developing an investigational drug to treat human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. File photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo

Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Two biotech chief executive officers have been indicted for their roles in defrauding investors in CytoDyn, a company developing an investigational drug to treat human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, according to a federal grand jury in the District of Maryland.

The court documents, unsealed on Tuesday, show Nader Pourhassen, of Lake Oswego, Ore., and Kazem Kazempour, of Potomac, Md., allegedly conspired to defraud investors through "false and misleading representations" relating to CytoDyn's development of the drug leronlimab.

"Leronlimab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that is a once-a-week subcutaneous injection that can also be administered intravenously," according to CytoDyn, which is based in Vancouver, Wash. "The platform drug is used for various therapeutic indications, including NASH, NASH/HIV, oncology and HIV."

Pourhassen, 59, was CytoDyn's president and CEO at the time of the alleged fraud. Kazempour, 69, is the co-founder, president and CEO of Amarex Clinical Research that managed CytoDyn's clinical trials.

Court documents say the two CEOs allegedly deceived investors about the status of CytoDyn's regulator submissions to the Food and Drug Administration to artificially inflate the price of CytoDyn's stock.

"The indictment alleges that these defendants conspired to defraud investors in order to line their own pockets," said U.S. Attorney Erek Barron for the District of Maryland.

"Investors must be able to rely on the statements of biotech companies about their products. Executives who knowingly mislead investors must be held accountable," Barron said.

In April 2020, court documents show CytoDyn and Amarex repeatedly missed publicized timelines. Pourhassan allegedly directed Amarex to submit the company's incomplete biologics license application so CytoDyn could announce to investors that the BLA had been submitted, even though both CEOs knew that the FDA would refuse the incomplete application.

In October, CytoDyn announced it was withdrawing the leronlimab BLA. Pourhassen was terminated in January.

"Financial crimes like securities fraud may not be violent, but they certainly are not victimless. The two individuals charged today capitalized on the hopes of investors and the public in supporting new treatments for ailments that affect people and their families," said Special Agent in Charge Thomas Sobocinski of the FBI Baltimore Field Office.

"This indictment sends a message to all sophisticated white-collar criminals that no one is beyond the reach of the FBI and our law enforcement partners and we do not tolerate the greedy intentions of those in such trusted positions."

The indictment also alleges that Pourhassan made false and misleading representations about CytoDyn's investigation and development of leronlimab as a possible treatment for COVID-19, despite clinical studies failing to achieve necessary results for FDA approval.

Pourhassan and Kazempour are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, three counts of securities fraud and two counts of wire fraud related to the HIV BLA scheme.

Pourhassan is separately charged with an additional count of securities fraud, an additional count of wire fraud related to the COVID-19 scheme and three counts of insider trading. Kazempour is separately charged with one count of making false statements to federal law enforcement agents.

If convicted, both men face a maximum of 20 years in prison on each securities and wire fraud count, and five years for each conspiracy and false statements count.

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Two biotech CEOs charged with defrauding investors - UPI.com

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Most Free States 2022 – worldpopulationreview.com

Posted: at 10:30 pm

Fiscal policy includes state taxation, local taxation, government consumption and investment, government debt, and cash and security assets. Regulatory policy includes: land-use freedomn, labor market freedom, lawsuit freedom, occupational freedom, miscellanrous regulatory freedom, and cable and communications. Personal freedom includes incarceration and arrests, guns, gambling, marriage, education, alcohol, asset forfeiture, marijuana, tobacco, mala prohibita and civil liberties, travel freedom, and campaign finance.

Each state was scored on over 200 policies involving fiscal policy, regulatory policy, and personal freedom. Policies were weighted according to the estimated costs that government restrictions on freedom impose on their victims. Fiscal policy was weighted at 30.4%, regulatory policy at 34.0%, and personal freedom at 34.1% (percentages do not equal 100% because of rounding).

Based on the rankings, Florida is the freest state in the United States. Florida is ranked first for fiscal policy, 11th for personal freedom, and 22nd for regulatory policy. Florida is one of seven states that do not levy a state income tax. Floridas overall state-level tax collections are more than a standard deviation and a half below the national average.

New Hampshire is the second-most free state in the country. New Hampshire ranks second for fiscal policy, with the government taxing less than any other state but Alaska. New Hampshire also ranks fifth for personal freedom, with low incarceration rates and drug arrest rates.

Indiana ranks 10th for fiscal policy, 10th for personal freedom, and fifth for regulatory policy. Indiana has built itself as the freest state in the Great Lakes region by a wide margin. State taxes have fallen while government debt has also declined. Educational freedom is excellent in Indiana. Legal gambling is extensive, victimless crime arrests are low, alcohol freedom has improved consistently over the past few years.

Colorado takes the number four spot for the freest states. Colorado ranks eighth for fiscal policy and fourth for personal freedom. The state has led the way in recreational cannabis regulation and has above average legal gambling and run rights. Colorado is ranked first on the report for freedom from cronyism (the appointment of friends and associates to positions of authority without proper regard to their qualifications). When it comes to regulatory policy, however, Colorado does not perform as well and is ranked 25th.

Nevada ranks second for personal freedom. Nevada is number one for legal gambling and is the only state with legal prostitution (in certain jurisdictions). Incarceration in Nevada is about average and non-drug victimless crime arrests have fallen in recent years. While personal freedom is Nevadas strength it does perform as well for fiscal or regulatory policy, which it ranks 22nd and 17th for.

North Dakota is the sixth-most free state in the U.S., ranking fifth for fiscal policy, 29 for personal freedom, and 19 for regulatory policy. North Dakotas tax burned is about 4.5% of adjusted income. State debts have been paid down and financial assets have been built up. North Dakota falls behind for regulatory policies, although its policies are still good. Land use is lightly regulated, there is a right-to-work law, and there is no state-level minimum wage.

Tennessee has the third-freest regulatory policies in the U.S. and is ranked tenth for regulatory policy; however, it ranks 45 for personal freedom. Tennessee is one of seven states with no individual state income tax and both state and local taxes and state and local debt have decreased. Tennessee ranks poorly for personal freedom due to its criminal justice policies and an above-average incarceration rate.

Ranking just two spots under its northern neighbor is South Dakota. South Dakota sixth for fiscal policy, 37 for personal freedom, and eighth for regulatory policy. South Dakota has one of the lowest tax burdens in the country and state and local debt is well below the national average. While the states regulatory policies are well above average, its criminal justice policies are very strict. Incarceration is high as well as drug and other victimless crimes.

Arizona is the ninth-most free state in the United States. Arizona ranks 18th for fiscal policy, 14 for personal freedom, and 16 for regulatory policy. Arizona has made significant progress in the rankings in the last 20 years, specifically on personal freedom. This is due to growing gun rights, declining victimless crime arrests, legalization of same-sex marriage, the abolition of its sodomy law, and liberalizing its wine shipment laws.

Kansas takes the tenth spot on the freest states in the country and ranks first for regulatory policy. Kansas is one of the best states for freedom from cronyism, land-use freedom is high, and occupational freedom is high. Kansas does significantly worse for fiscal policy and personal freedom, ranking 32 and 21, respectively. Government employment and debt in South Dakota are higher than average. Additionally, while Kansas does relatively better than other conservative states when it comes to criminal justice, its incarceration rate has been slowly increasing over time.

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Most Free States 2022 - worldpopulationreview.com

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12 Best Casino Affiliate Programs of 2022 (Top Offers) – AuthorityHacker

Posted: at 10:29 pm

This roundup is going to shake things up a little bit because we look at some of the best casino affiliate programs out there.

And when we say casino, we mean in the online sense and not the Las Vegas hotel sense.

There are affiliates who treat the online gambling niche as being completely taboo. And there are affiliates who make ludicrous amounts of money promoting programs in this niche.

Which route you take is entirely up to you were just here to inform you.

Like the fact that this industry is going to be worth north of US$90 billion by 2024.

Or that many states in the US prohibit online gamblingbut there are ways around this.

And that theres one specific provision in some casino affiliate programs that you need to watch out for.

Intrigued?

You should be.

Youll have three choices when getting paid by these programs:

CPA = you get paid every time they visit the casino from your site

CPL = you get paid once for their registration

Revenue share = you get a percentage of what the player loses

Most programs only offer a revenue sharing payment model, which is fine on the surface of things. But you need to watch out for something called Negative Carryover.

With revenue share, when your player loses big you win big. If, however, they win big then you lose big. This leaves you with a negative balance on your affiliate account.

Some affiliate programs will wipe this negative balance clean at the end of the month but not all of them.

Always, always read the fine print, my friends.

Now, lets get to the programs themselves.

Multiple casino brands operate under the Betsson umbrella, including Betsafe, Casino and Star Casino. Theyve been in the casino game now for over 50 years, so youre dealing with an established brand.

Players can choose from dozens of classic slots and table games or a range of live casino games. One note here is that theyre focused on the European market, which means US players are out of luck.

Their affiliate program operates on a revenue share basis, and you can also get paid for signing up sub-affiliates.If you have plenty of skin in this niche, you can apply for their exclusive CPA program, where you get paid once for all new players/depositors.

URL: Betsson affiliate program

Commission: 20% 30% revenue share

Suitable for US Market: No

Negative carryover: No

Cookie duration: 30 days

BitStarz has earned a reputation for not only providing an enjoyable casino experience but a safe one too. Based on that and their top-notch customer service and live chat support, you can factor in that they get tons of positive reviews from players.

BitStarz is a mobile-friendly casino that offers slots and live games, and you can pay for many of these games with cryptocurrencies, but not all of them.

New players who deposit at least 20, 20, or $20 are entitled to a welcome package, which can include a 100% matching bonus for whatever amount you deposit.

So how well do they take care of their affiliates? You can earn up to a 40% revenue share, and theyre happy to have their offers promoted via email or Skype, so you dont even need a website.

URL: BitStarz affiliate program

Commission: Up to 40% revenue share

Suitable for US Market: Yes

Negative carryover: No

Cookie duration: 30 days

Even people who dont visit casino sites will have heard of Bet 365. Thats because theyre one of the worlds largest online casinos and one of the most popular.

US players are welcome, so thats one major box ticked in their favor.Along with all the usual slots and other casino games, Bet 365 offers roulette, blackjack, and baccarat via a video stream with a real dealer.

This site is also fully mobile, so youre not tied to a desktop or laptop and can enjoy your games on a smartphone or tablet.

Bet 365 usually garners pretty positive reviews, so theyre obviously doing something right.

Unlike the sliding scale offered by other casinos, affiliates get a flat 30% revenue share. In addition to this, Bet 365 also operates a negative carryover on affiliate accounts, so bear that in mind when signing up.

URL: Bet 365 affiliate program

Commission: 30% flat revenue share

Suitable for US Market: Yes

Negative carryover: Yes

Cookie duration: 45 days

Ace Revenue is a little different in that its not a casino in and of itself. Instead, its an umbrella affiliate program covering a number of online casinos such as Silver Oak, Captain Jack, Slot Madness, and Royal Ace, for example.

Players get to enjoy all the usual games such as slots, poker, video poker, and table games such as roulette.US players are also more than welcome on all of their partner sites.

What also sets Ace Revenue apart from its competitors is that they pay lifetime commissions.

Once signed up, you can start earning either a 35% or 45% revenue share, but they also offer a two-tier program so you can get paid up to 5% for your sub-affiliates.Ace Revenue is also happy to discuss tailored CPA offers for high-performing affiliates.

URL: Ace Revenue affiliate program

Commission: Up to 45% revenue share

Suitable for US Market: Yes

Negative carryover: No

Cookie duration: Lifetime

Casumo Casino stands out from the crowd because, unlike so many of its competitors, its site doesnt look like it traveled forward in time from 1998. In addition to the modern design and interface, you can enjoy a live casino experience with real dealers for your blackjack, Texas Holdem, roulette, and baccarat game. They also offer a wide selection of games from third parties like Microgaming, Bally Barcrest, Elk Studios, etc.

Casumo has an in-house game called Topwheel Treasures, where you spin the wheel for prizes like on game shows.

In terms of regular games, players get points for every game-related action they take, which they can then redeem for free spins, a bonus on their deposit, or some extra cash straight into their account.

As an affiliate partner, youll get a revenue share of between 25% and 45%, depending on how many players you sign up. The top tier revenue share of 45% is reserved for affiliates who can refer at least 50 new customers.

URL: Casumo Casino affiliate program

Commission: Up to 45% revenue share

Suitable for US Market: No

Negative carryover: No

Cookie duration: 30 days

Genesis Casino caught our attention because they make a genuine effort to add some excitement to what they do. They even do a little bit of content marketing storytelling on their site, which is novel. But theyre also not sitting there going, Yeah were hereso give us money.

What can players expect?

Genesis Casino offers 1,300 different games, including online slots, video poker, and all your usual favorites. They also offer a live casino experience, including several flavors of roulette. However, mobile gamers will have to use a browser because Genesis does not currently offer a dedicated app for their casino.

Most affiliates will earn their income from a revenue share of up to 35% and an additional 2.5% from sub-affiliates.Genesis Casino will consider CPA offers, but only for affiliates who can prove they know what to do with that.

URL: Genesis Casino affiliate program

Commission: Up to 35% revenue share

Suitable for US Market: No

Negative carryover: No

Cookie duration: 70 days

Cashmio is a relative newcomer to an industry where competitors boast about having decades of experience. This online casino signed its first customers in 2016. Still, the flip side of this is the Scandinavian entrepreneurs behind the curtains of Cashmio have a ton of experience in casino support.

So they decided to take what they knew and create the kind of casino theyd enjoy using. And what your visitors get is a site crammed full of games they love, including virtual casino games, live events, and all the usual online slot games.Players can also take their games mobile with the Cashmio app, available for both iOS and Android devices.

Whats in it for affiliates?

In terms of commission, you can earn anywhere from 25% 45% revenue share. Cashmio is also available in multiple languages, so your audience is larger by several hundred million players as a result.

URL: Cashmio affiliate program

Commission: Up to 45% revenue share

Suitable for US Market: No

Negative carryover: No

Cookie duration: 60 days

Using mascots is one way of building your brand, and Bao Casino has done a pretty good job of that. It gives their site a fun look and makes it memorable for players.

Inside the digital doors of this online casino, youll find a mixture of in-house live casino and table games, as youd expect. These are mixed with familiar virtual video slot offerings from NetEnt, Amatic, and Quickfire. And if you fancy playing a few hands of poker, you can do that here too.

They also run a range of crypto games, where you can participate without ever using regular currency, which hints at the future of online casino gaming.

Affiliates are paid differing amounts depending on whether you choose revenue share, their CPA option, or a hybrid program. One thing to watch out for is that you have to earn 4,000 in a given month before you can receive an affiliate payment.Thats pretty extreme unless youre a very active affiliate.

URL: Bao Casino affiliate program

Commission: Varies

Suitable for US Market: No

Negative carryover: No

Cookie duration: 30 days

Golden Star Casino was established in 2012 and is run by a team of seasoned casino players and others involved in the industry.Players can participate in the usual games of chance, including virtual slots with something for everyone. But you can also play table games or go for the live game experience.

You can choose from roulette, blackjack, and keno from their live casino games. Each of the live games has real dealers, so the experience can be pretty immersive.

Golden Star also supports Bitcoin games, so you dont actually need to use your regular bank account or credit card details. The site is also available in several languages and is mobile-friendly, so theres no dedicated app for it.

Affiliates are paid up to 50% revenue share, and theres no negative carryover. One final note on this program is that it is not available for the US market and is also not available for a UK audience.

URL: Golden Star affiliate program

Commission: Up to 50% revenue share

Suitable for US Market: Yes

Negative carryover: No

Cookie duration: 180 days

Cloudbet is a casino you can expect to see a lot more of in the future one that only trades in Bitcoin. Internet censorship seems to be ramping up, so I can see a time when part of going off-grid for some people will mean dumping FIAT currency.

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12 Best Casino Affiliate Programs of 2022 (Top Offers) - AuthorityHacker

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Complementary and alternative medicine – NHS

Posted: at 10:25 pm

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is treatment that falls outside of mainstream healthcare.

These treatments range from acupuncture and homeopathy, to aromatherapy, meditation and colonic irrigation.

There's no universally agreed definition of CAM.

Although "complementary and alternative" is often used as a single category, it can be useful to make a distinction between the terms.

The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) uses this distinction:

There can be overlap between these categories.

For example, aromatherapy may sometimes be used as a complementary treatment and in other circumstances is used as an alternative treatment.

A number of complementary and alternative treatments are typically used with the intention of treating or curing a health condition.

Examples include:

To understand whether a treatment is safe and effective, we need to check the evidence.

You can learn more about the evidence for particular CAM practices by reading about individual types of treatment.

See our Health A to Z index for a list of all conditions and treatments on the NHS website.

Some CAM treatments are based on principles and an evidence base that are not recognised by the majority of independent scientists.

Others have been proven to work for a limited number of health conditions.

For example, there's evidence that chiropractic is effective for treating lower back pain.

When a person uses any health treatment, including CAM, and experiences an improvement, this may be due to the placebo effect.

The availability of CAM on the NHS is limited, and in most cases the NHS will not offer such treatments.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides guidance to the NHS on effective treatments that are value for money.

NICE has recommended the use of CAM in a limited number of circumstances.

For example:

If you think you may have a health condition, first see your GP. Do not visit a CAM practitioner instead of seeing your GP.

It's particularly important to talk to your GP before trying CAM if you have a pre-existing health condition or are pregnant.

Some CAM treatments may interact with medicines that you're taking or should not be tried if you're pregnant.

The practice of conventional medicine is regulated by laws that ensure that practitioners are properly qualified and adhere to certain standards or codes of practice. This is called statutory professional regulation.

Chiropractors are regulated in the same way. However, there's no statutory professional regulation of any other CAM practitioners.

Chiropractic is regulated in the same way as conventional medicine.

All chiropractors must be registered with the General Chiropractic Council. You can use the General Chiropractic Council website to find a registered chiropractor near you or check if someone offering chiropractic services is registered.

Apart from chiropractic, there's no professional statutory regulation of complementary and alternative treatments in the UK.

This means:

If you decide to use a CAM practitioner, it's up to you to find one who will carry out the treatment in a way that's acceptable to you. Professional bodies and voluntary registers can help you do this.

Some regulated healthcare professionals, such as GPs, also practise unregulated CAM.

In these instances, the CAM practice is not regulated by the organisation that regulates the healthcare professional (such as the General Medical Council), but these organisations will investigate complaints that relate to the professional conduct of their member.

Many types of CAM have voluntary registers, some of which are accredited by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) or professional associations that practitioners can join if they choose.

Usually, these associations or registers demand that practitioners hold certain qualifications and agree to practise to a certain standard.

Organisations with PSA-accredited voluntary registers include:

This means that these organisations have met the PSA's demanding standards, which are designed to help people make an informed choice when they're looking for a practitioner.

Read about accredited registers on the Professional Standards Authority website

Once you have found a practitioner, it's a good idea to ask them some questions to help you decide if you want to go ahead with treatment.

You could ask:

Page last reviewed: 01 March 2022Next review due: 01 March 2025

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Complementary and alternative medicine - NHS

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