So, after waiting vainly over a week for a response to my written complaint my thread, with accompanying screenshots illustrating the abuse, was taken down a couple of hours ago by WGT.
I subsequently received the following response from a WGT Admin (I'll spare him the embarrassment of naming him);
"I am writing to you personally so you understand why I will be taking down your forum thread that has pictures and names players. It is against the posting guidelines to put that stuff up there. No matter what you feel other players have done to you, it does not mean that you can go against the posting guidelines.
Now onto the issue of the other players. I was the one who did the investigation in those two players. It was the first time we had received any reports about abusive behavior on them. They were both given a Formal warning with the caveat of if they did it again their accounts would be suspended.
We do not discuss what we do behind the scenes because frankly the decision is ours and we take what actions we feel are necessary. There is also the privacy issue. I am sure if you made a mistake or got angry you wouldn't want us to broadcast it all over the forums."
For those of you who read the earlier deleted thread and saw the screenshots you may find this response as surprising as I did, given the egregious nature of the abuse I experienced. Consequently, my response was as follows;
"I am astounded to find you writing to me in such an admonishing and condescending tone, especially under the circumstances. So, I won't feel at all badly about returning the favour.
I don't "feel" someone has done something to me. I know whom, what and when. It offended me and it offended my playing partner. Per the all-encompassing WGT guidelines I reported it immediately (with screenshots) but, apparently, it has taken the posting of a thread WGT deems controversial and contrary to its guidelines to finally elicit a direct response from an admin. I mean, after 8 days, would I have received any kind of response had I not posted the thread?
What blows my mind is the fact you actually believe your action regarding these players is remotely adequate. You've warned them, with the threat you'll "suspend" them, for such a vicious and concerted outpouring of racial abuse? I mean, seriously? And then you look to put me in my place by making it clear you can and will do whatever you like so long as you feel it is necessary? And then, to put a tin lid on it, you characterise the behaviour of these proven racists as "making a mistake or getting angry"?
Let me put it bluntly, there is no place and no excuse for that type of behaviour anywhere or at any time. Those players did not make a mistake and they weren't angry, they simply engaged in behaviour that is deemed criminal just about anywhere in the civilised world. The extent of your action and your attitude in representing WGT, frankly, sucks."
So, there it is. The subtext of WGT's response is that they will not deliver any meaningful deterrent to the tiny minority of members who abuse others. They'll get a warning with the "threat" of a suspension. That is unless the WGT Admin in question happens to feel like doing something else that day. Whatever that may be, just don't feel as though you're entitled to any kind of explanation.
I hope you're all as comforted by that as I am.