This Cookie Policy explains how SydneyBauer ("we," "our," or "us") uses cookies and similar tracking technologies on our website sydneybauer.com and related services. It should be read alongside our Privacy Policy, which describes how we handle personal information more broadly.

1. What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, smartphone, or tablet) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work efficiently, to remember your preferences, and to provide information to the website owner.

Cookies are set by either the website you are visiting (known as "first-party cookies") or by third-party services that the website uses (known as "third-party cookies"). Cookies can be "session cookies" — which are deleted when you close your browser — or "persistent cookies," which remain on your device for a set period or until you delete them.

In addition to cookies, we may use similar technologies such as:

  • Web Beacons / Pixel Tags: Tiny invisible images embedded in web pages or emails that signal when a page has been loaded or an email has been opened.
  • Local Storage: A browser feature that allows websites to store data locally on your device, similar to cookies but with greater capacity.
  • Session Storage: Temporary data storage that is cleared when the browser session ends.
  • JavaScript Tags: Small scripts that collect data about your browsing behaviour and transmit it to analytics or advertising platforms.

2. How We Use Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies for several purposes:

  • Essential Operations: To enable core website functionality such as keeping you logged in, maintaining your session, and remembering your cookie consent choice.
  • Performance and Analytics: To understand how visitors interact with our website — which pages are most popular, how long users spend on pages, and where they navigate from — so we can improve the user experience.
  • Functionality and Preferences: To remember your settings and preferences, such as your preferred language, game settings, and display options.
  • Security: To detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and suspicious account activity.
  • Communications: To track whether marketing emails have been opened and whether you have clicked on links within them (where you have consented to marketing).

We do not use cookies for targeted advertising or behavioural profiling, and we do not share cookie-derived data with advertising networks.

3. Types of Cookies We Use

The table below lists the specific cookies and tracking technologies currently in use on sydneybauer.com, along with their purpose, classification, and duration.

Cookie Name Purpose Type Duration
cc_session Maintains your authenticated login session. Required to keep you logged in as you navigate between pages. Essential / First-party Session (deleted on browser close)
cc_auth_token Stores a secure authentication token for "Remember Me" functionality so you remain logged in across browser sessions. Essential / First-party 30 days
cc_cookie_consent Records your cookie consent choices (accepted or declined) so we do not re-display the consent banner on subsequent visits. Essential / First-party 12 months
cc_csrf_token Cross-Site Request Forgery protection token. Ensures form submissions on the site originate from legitimate requests. Essential / First-party Session
cc_prefs Stores your personal site preferences such as display language, muted audio settings, and accessibility options. Functional / First-party 12 months
cc_last_game Remembers the last game you played to enable quick-resume functionality on the homepage. Functional / First-party 30 days
_ga Google Analytics primary cookie. Distinguishes unique users by assigning a randomly-generated client ID. Used to calculate aggregate visit statistics. Analytics / Third-party (Google LLC) 2 years
_ga_[ID] Google Analytics 4 session persistence cookie. Used to maintain session state and count the number of sessions per user. Analytics / Third-party (Google LLC) 2 years
_gid Google Analytics cookie that distinguishes users and stores information about how users use the website (what pages were visited). Analytics / Third-party (Google LLC) 24 hours
_gat Google Analytics throttle request rate cookie. Used to limit the number of data collection requests made to Google's servers. Analytics / Third-party (Google LLC) 1 minute
cc_ab_variant Stores the variant identifier for A/B tests (used to ensure you see a consistent version of features being tested). No personal data is transmitted. Performance / First-party 7 days
cc_perf Records internal performance timing data (e.g., page load duration) to help our engineering team identify performance bottlenecks. Anonymised. Performance / First-party Session
Essential cookies cannot be disabled as they are strictly necessary for our website to function. All other cookies require your consent and can be managed as described in Section 5.

4. Third-Party Cookies

Some cookies on our site are set by third-party service providers. The primary third party whose cookies appear on sydneybauer.com is Google LLC, which provides our analytics services through Google Analytics 4.

4.1 Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our platform. Google Analytics collects information about your device, browser, pages visited, time spent on pages, and how you arrived at our site. This information is transmitted to Google's servers, which may be located in the United States.

We have configured Google Analytics with the following privacy-enhancing settings:

  • IP Anonymisation: The last octet of your IP address is masked before any data is stored by Google, preventing your precise location from being recorded.
  • Data Sharing Disabled: We have disabled data sharing with Google's products and services beyond our own analytics.
  • Advertising Features Disabled: We do not use Google Analytics advertising features, demographic reporting, or remarketing lists.
  • Data Retention: We have set the data retention period in Google Analytics to 14 months.

Google Analytics data is processed under Google's Privacy Policy, available at policies.google.com/privacy. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking across all websites using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

We do not use any advertising network cookies, social media tracking pixels, or affiliate marketing cookies on sydneybauer.com.

5. Managing Cookies

You have several options for controlling cookies on your device. Please note that disabling certain cookies may impair the functionality of our website, particularly essential cookies related to login and session management.

5.1 Browser Settings

Most web browsers allow you to view, manage, and delete cookies through their settings. Instructions for major browsers are provided below:

Google Chrome

  1. Click the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner and select Settings.
  2. Navigate to Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data.
  3. Choose your preferred cookie settings or click See all cookies and site data to manage cookies from specific sites.
  4. To delete all cookies, click See all cookies and site data > Remove all.

Mozilla Firefox

  1. Click the hamburger menu icon and select Settings.
  2. Navigate to Privacy & Security.
  3. Under the Cookies and Site Data section, choose your preferences or click Manage Data to remove cookies from specific sites.
  4. You can also enable Enhanced Tracking Protection to block third-party cookies automatically.

Apple Safari

  1. Click Safari in the menu bar and select Settings (or Preferences on older versions).
  2. Navigate to the Privacy tab.
  3. Select Manage Website Data to view or remove cookies from specific websites.
  4. Tick Block all cookies to prevent all cookies (note: this may break many websites).

Microsoft Edge

  1. Click the three-dot menu icon and select Settings.
  2. Navigate to Cookies and site permissions > Cookies and data stored.
  3. Toggle cookie settings or click See all cookies and site data to manage individual cookies.
  4. Edge's Tracking prevention feature (Settings > Privacy, search, and services) provides additional control over third-party trackers.

5.2 Mobile Devices

On iOS devices, you can manage cookies in Settings > Safari > Privacy & Security. On Android, cookie management is available within Chrome's settings under Privacy and security. Third-party browser apps (Firefox for Android, Samsung Internet, etc.) have similar settings within their own menus.

5.3 Opt-Out Tools

When you first visit sydneybauer.com, a cookie consent banner is displayed at the bottom of the screen. The banner explains that we use cookies and provides links to this Cookie Policy for further information.

You have two options:

  • Accept All: Clicking "Accept All" grants consent for all cookies described in this policy, including functional, analytics, and performance cookies. We will place the cc_cookie_consent cookie with a value indicating acceptance, and the banner will not reappear for 12 months.
  • Decline: Clicking "Decline" means only strictly essential cookies will be placed on your device. Analytics and functional preference cookies will not be set. You can still use our platform, though some personalisation features may not function.

You may change your cookie preferences at any time by clearing the cc_cookie_consent cookie from your browser (see Section 5), which will cause the consent banner to reappear on your next visit. You can also contact us at [email protected] to request manual adjustment of your consent record.

We do not condition access to our free platform on your acceptance of non-essential cookies. Declining cookies will not restrict your ability to play our games.

7. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy periodically to reflect changes in the cookies we use, changes in applicable law or regulatory guidance, or improvements to our platform. When we make material changes, we will:

  • Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.
  • Post a notice on our website for a reasonable period following the change.
  • Where required, re-request your consent if new non-essential cookies are introduced.

We encourage you to review this policy regularly. If you continue to use our website after we post changes, you acknowledge the updated policy.

8. Contact

If you have questions about this Cookie Policy or our use of cookies, please contact us:

  • Email: [email protected]
  • Mailing Address: Privacy Officer, SydneyBauer, Level 1, 1 King Street, London EC2V 8RF, United Kingdom
  • Business Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM EST

For broader privacy concerns, please also refer to our Privacy Policy.