[sluttysteve]

The point is, it doesn't matter if we justly deserved the $500 bonus or not.

This is a situation where collective action can force Empire to give us the $500, even when it wasn't intended for us. Once the code was out in the open, tons of players took advantage and let out a collective sigh when the bonus was taken away. The angst generated from this debacle is a PR nightmare for Empire, and by using the simple argument that "$500 < Rake generated by angry players", Empire, as a rational decision maker, would be forced to choose to give the $500 to maximize profit. It's as simple as that.

Anyway, correct me if I'm wrong. I'm just thinking about it from a pure economic point of view.