1. Introduction
Welcome to Balloon Game. Your privacy is a top priority for us. We are committed to being transparent about how we collect, use, and protect your personal information. This Privacy Policy outlines our practices and explains your rights concerning your data.
This policy applies to all information collected through our website, BalloonGame.com. We are an informational resource dedicated to the Balloon crash game, providing strategy guides, game analysis, and community engagement. We are not a casino operator and do not offer real money gambling services.
By using our website, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. We encourage you to read it carefully to understand our practices.
Questions? If you have any questions about this policy, please contact us at [email protected]
2. Information We Collect
We collect information to improve our content, provide our services, and maintain the security of our website. We have grouped the data we collect into two categories: data collected automatically and information you voluntarily provide.
2.1 Automatically Collected Data
When you visit Balloon Game, our systems automatically collect certain information about your device and browsing behavior.
📊 Analytics Data
To understand how visitors use our site, we use Google Analytics 4. This service helps us analyze traffic and user engagement. The data collected includes:
- Usage Metrics: Pages you visit, time spent on each page, scroll depth, and your journey through our site.
- Traffic Source: How you arrived at our site (e.g., from a Google search, a social media link, or directly).
- Device Information: Your device type (desktop, mobile), operating system, and browser type.
- Geographic Location: Your general location at a country and city level, derived from your IP address.
⚖️ Legal Basis: Legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR) in improving our website and content.
🍪 Cookie Data
Our site uses cookies to function correctly and enhance your experience. These small text files are stored on your device and help us with:
- Essential Cookies: Necessary for basic site functionality.
- Analytics Cookies: Help us understand user behavior through Google Analytics.
- Advertising (Affiliate) Cookies: Track clicks on our affiliate links.
- Preference Cookies: Remember your settings, such as cookie consent choices.
See Section 4 for detailed cookie information.
🔗 Affiliate Tracking
When you click on a link to a casino partner, we collect certain data to track the referral. This includes:
- Timestamps of your clicks.
- The page you were on when you clicked the link.
- The destination casino.
💰 Purpose: Affiliate commission tracking for sustainability.
⚖️ Legal Basis: Legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR).
2.2 Voluntarily Provided Information
You may choose to provide us with personal information in the following ways:
📧 Newsletter Subscriptions
If you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect:
- Your email address (required).
- Your first name (optional).
- The date and time of your subscription.
⚖️ Legal Basis: Consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR).
You can withdraw your consent and unsubscribe at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any email we send.
💬 Community Interactions
When you join our Discord, Telegram, or social media channels, you may share your username, profile information, and messages. Please note that these platforms have their own privacy policies that govern your data.
📩 Contact Forms & Emails
If you contact us directly via email or a contact form, we collect your name, email address, and the content of your message.
⚖️ Legal Basis: Legitimate interest in responding to your inquiries.
2.3 Data We DON'T Collect
✅ What We DON'T Collect
To be perfectly clear, we are an informational resource, not a gambling operator. Therefore, we never collect:
- ❌ NO payment information (credit cards, bank details).
- ❌ NO personal gambling data or transaction history.
- ❌ NO account registration data on our site (no login required).
- ❌ NO precise GPS location.
- ❌ NO sensitive personal data (health, biometric, etc.).
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for specific purposes, always with a clear legal basis. Here is a breakdown of how your data is used.
Website Analytics & Improvement
Data Used: Analytics data, cookies, browsing behavior.
Purpose:
- Understand which content is valuable to our readers
- Improve user experience (UX)
- Fix technical issues
- Optimize site performance
Legal Basis: Legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR)
Newsletter Communications
Data Used: Email address, first name.
Purpose:
- Send new strategy guides and updates
- Share casino reviews
- Notify about Balloon game news
- Monthly data reports
Legal Basis: Consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR)
Affiliate Commission Tracking
Data Used: Click data, referral sources.
Purpose:
- Track visits to casino partners from our site
- Earn commissions that fund our free content
- Measure effectiveness of our reviews
Legal Basis: Legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR)
Security & Fraud Prevention
Data Used: IP address, device information.
Purpose:
- Protect our website from spam
- Detect malicious bots
- Ensure site integrity
- Maintain user safety
Legal Basis: Legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR)
Legal Compliance
Data Used: Any relevant collected data.
Purpose:
- Comply with legal requirements
- Respond to lawful requests from authorities
- Enforce our Terms of Service
Legal Basis: Legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c) GDPR)
Customer Support
Data Used: Email address, name, message content.
Purpose:
- Respond to your questions
- Provide technical support
- Address feedback you share with us
Legal Basis: Legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR)
🚫 What We DON'T Do With Your Information
- ❌ We do NOT sell your personal data to anyone.
- ❌ We do NOT share your email address with other marketing companies.
- ❌ We do NOT track your activity across unrelated websites.
4. Cookies & Tracking Technologies
This section provides detailed information about cookies and how you can manage them. A cookie is a small text file stored on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website.
How We Use Cookies
We use cookies to ensure our site functions properly, to analyze our traffic, and to track affiliate referrals. On your first visit, you will see a cookie banner that allows you to accept, reject, or customize your cookie preferences.
Types of Cookies We Use
Third-Party Cookies
Google Analytics 4
We use this service for analytics. It sets cookies like _ga, _gid, and _gat to distinguish users and track behavior.
For more information, please see the Google Privacy Policy.
Affiliate Networks
When you click a link to a casino, our affiliate partners may set a tracking cookie to attribute the referral to our site.
How to Manage Your Cookies
You have several options for controlling cookies:
- Cookie Consent Banner: Use our banner on your first visit to provide or withdraw consent for non-essential cookies.
- Browser Settings: Most web browsers allow you to block or delete cookies through their settings. Instructions for popular browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge.
- Google Analytics Opt-out: To prevent your data from being used by Google Analytics, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
- Do Not Track (DNT): We respect Do Not Track signals sent by web browsers.
⚠️ Note: Blocking essential cookies may affect the functionality and your experience of our website.
5. Third-Party Services
To operate our website, we rely on several trusted third-party services. These services may process your data on our behalf.
Google Analytics 4
Purpose: Website analytics and traffic analysis.
Data Processed: Page views, device information, general location.
Privacy Policy: policies.google.com/privacy ↗
Web Hosting (Cloudflare)
Purpose: Hosting our website files, content delivery (CDN), and security.
Data Processed: IP addresses, browser information, server request logs.
Privacy Policy: cloudflare.com/privacypolicy ↗
Email Service (Mailchimp)
Purpose: Managing newsletter subscriptions and sending emails.
Data Processed: Email address, name, engagement data (opens and clicks).
Privacy Policy: mailchimp.com/legal/privacy ↗
Affiliate Networks
Purpose: Tracking referrals to our casino partners.
Data Processed: Click timestamps, referral source.
Note: Each casino partner has its own system and privacy policy.
Social Media Platforms
Purpose: Community engagement and communication.
Platforms: Discord, Telegram, Twitter, Instagram.
Each platform is governed by its own privacy policy.
Payment Processors
Status: NOT APPLICABLE
We do NOT process payments or collect financial data. Balloon Game is a free informational resource.
⚠️ Disclaimer: We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party services. We encourage you to review their privacy policies to understand how they handle your data.
6. Data Sharing & Disclosure
We do not sell your personal data. We only share it in limited circumstances, as described below.
With Service Providers
We share data with third-party service providers who perform essential functions for us, such as Google (for analytics), our web host, and our email service provider. We have contracts in place with these providers to ensure they protect your data and comply with privacy laws.
With Affiliate Partners
When you click on an affiliate link to a casino, anonymous click data is shared with that partner to track the referral. This allows us to earn commissions that support our free content. The casino will then have its own privacy policy governing any data you provide to them.
For Legal Requirements
We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to a valid legal request, such as a court order, subpoena, or request from a law enforcement or regulatory authority.
During Business Transfers
In the unlikely event that we sell, merge, or transfer our business, your data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change and provide you with choices regarding your information.
With Your Explicit Consent
For any other purpose, we will only share your personal data if we have obtained your explicit consent to do so.
7. Data Security
We take the security of your data seriously and have implemented appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect it.
Our Security Measures
- SSL/TLS Encryption: Our entire website uses HTTPS, which encrypts the data transmitted between your browser and our servers.
- Secure Hosting: We use a reputable hosting provider with a secure infrastructure and regular security audits.
- Regular Updates: We keep our website software, plugins, and systems updated to protect against vulnerabilities.
- Access Controls: Access to personal data is restricted to authorized team members who need it to perform their jobs.
- Secure Practices: We follow best practices for password security and data handling.
Limitations of Security
While we do our best to protect your data, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.
Data Breach Notification
In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in a high risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you and the relevant supervisory authority within 72 hours of becoming aware of it, as required by GDPR.
8. Your Data Protection Rights (GDPR)
If you are a resident of the European Union, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) grants you specific rights over your personal data. We are committed to upholding these rights.
1️⃣ Right to Access
Article 15
You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
2️⃣ Right to Rectification
Article 16
You have the right to request the correction of any inaccurate or incomplete data we hold about you.
3️⃣ Right to Erasure
Article 17
You have the right to request the deletion of your personal data, subject to certain exceptions (such as legal obligations).
4️⃣ Right to Restrict Processing
Article 18
You have the right to request that we limit how we use your data, for example, during a dispute over its accuracy.
5️⃣ Right to Data Portability
Article 20
You have the right to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format and to transfer it to another service.
6️⃣ Right to Object
Article 21
You have the right to object to our processing of your data when it is based on our legitimate interests. You have an absolute right to object to processing for direct marketing purposes.
7️⃣ Right to Withdraw Consent
Where we process your data based on your consent (such as for our newsletter), you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.
8️⃣ Right to Lodge a Complaint
You have the right to file a complaint with your national data protection authority. Find your authority ↗
Exercising Your Rights
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]
We will respond to your request within 30 days, as required by GDPR. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request to prevent fraud.
For residents of California, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) provides similar rights. You can exercise them by contacting the same email address.
9. Data Retention
We do not keep your personal data for longer than is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.
Our Retention Periods
Analytics Data
Data in Google Analytics is retained for a default period of 26 months before being automatically deleted.
Newsletter Subscriptions
We retain your email address until you unsubscribe. Once you unsubscribe, your data will be permanently deleted from our mailing list within 30 days.
Contact Form Submissions
We retain emails and contact form submissions for up to 2 years for reference purposes, after which they are deleted.
Cookies
The retention period for cookies varies by type:
- Session cookies: Deleted when you close your browser
- Analytics cookies: Up to 2 years
- Affiliate cookies: 30-90 days
- Preference cookies: Up to 1 year
We may retain certain data for longer periods if required to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, or enforce our agreements.
10. Children's Privacy
Balloon Game is intended for an adult audience of 18 years or older. Our content, while informational, pertains to gambling, which is an age-restricted activity.
We do not knowingly collect, use, or store personal information from individuals under the age of 18. Our website is not directed at children under the age of 13, in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal data from a child under 18 without parental consent, we will take immediate steps to delete that information from our systems.
For Parents & Guardians: If you believe that your child has provided us with their personal data, please contact us at [email protected] so we can take appropriate action.
11. International Data Transfers
Our website is accessible globally, and your data may be processed in countries outside of your own. Our servers and the servers of our third-party service providers (like Google and Cloudflare) may be located in various countries, including the United States.
Safeguards for EU Data
When we transfer data from the European Union to countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA), we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data in accordance with GDPR requirements. These safeguards may include:
- Transferring data to countries deemed to have adequate data protection laws by the European Commission.
- Using Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission.
- Relying on frameworks like the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework for transfers to certified U.S. companies.
Regardless of where your data is processed, your rights as an EU resident under GDPR remain fully applicable.
12. Affiliate Disclosure
To maintain transparency, this section clarifies our use of affiliate links. Balloon Game is a free resource, and we fund our operations through affiliate commissions.
How It Works
When you click on a link to an online casino from our site and subsequently register an account, we may earn a commission from that casino. This is tracked using affiliate cookies, which typically have a duration of 30-90 days. This comes at no extra cost to you.
Our Editorial Independence
Our affiliate relationships do not influence our content or recommendations. We are committed to providing honest, objective information.
Our casino rankings are based on our rigorous 7-step testing methodology, and we always include both pros and cons in our reviews. Our primary mission is to educate our readers, not to promote casinos.
This transparency is fundamental to the trust our community places in us.
13. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, new legal requirements, or improvements to our services.
When we make changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. For material changes, we will provide a more prominent notice on our website and may notify our newsletter subscribers via email.
Your continued use of our website after any changes become effective constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy. We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed about how we protect your privacy.
14. Governing Law
This Privacy Policy and any disputes related to it are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the European Union, specifically the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
For residents of specific jurisdictions, local laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) may also apply.
In the event of any conflict, we will strive to resolve it in good faith. Any unresolved disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts.
If any provision of this policy is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue to be in full force and effect.
15. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please do not hesitate to contact us.
🔒 Privacy Inquiries
Email: [email protected]
Response Time: We aim to respond to general privacy questions within 48 hours. For formal GDPR requests, we will respond within 30 days.
👤 Data Protection Officer
Email: [email protected]
📍 Mailing Address
Balloon Game
[Street Address]
[City, Country]
🇪🇺 EU Representative
[Name]
[Address]
EU residents also have the right to contact their national Data Protection Authority. A list of these authorities can be found at the official website of the European Data Protection Board ↗