INTERVIEW
Visible, Ready and Transparent iGaming Business Affiliate Magazine talks to Schalk Van Der Sandt, International Affiliate Manager, Canbet Affiliates. Firstly, what brought you to the industry? Was it love at first sight? As a 20 year old in 2003, I accepted a job as a junior support agent for a small casino group. I was amazed at the technology and thought that has gone into developing the business, and the ambitious drive that made it grow, day on day. More than that though, I was impressed by the talent and grit of the people involved in the industry. As a young man just starting out in the working world, I still felt like a small fish in a giant pond, but I could tell almost immediately, that it was a pond I wanted to be in. I knew right there and then, that this is going to be a long ride, and I was determined to make it work. What elements from your previous professional experience were you able to draw on in this industry? Coming from the customer service desk has given me a player-orientated perspective, which I believe has helped me immensely in my positions in marketing. As long as you keep your players’ needs in mind, you can’t go wrong. It’s not always as easy as the alternative, but it’s a long term plan. I believe that a solid reputation and respectable partners is much more valuable than making a quick buck at another’s expense. I try to carry this philosophy forward to my relationships with affiliates too. I like to keep myself visible, readily available and transparent at all times. Did you have any preconceptions of the industry or of gaming itself before you joined? I knew very little about online gaming before I started, but did enjoy the odd night out at the land based offerings in my home town in South Africa. I saw gambling as a recreational activity and good for a laugh on a night out. What surprised you most about the industry, and the way it works? The sheer size of it, in terms of popularity, as well as the number of people that have come together to make it work! Software providers, operators, affiliates, ad agencies, news agencies and industry related organisations all dedicated to online gaming. It’s hard to imagine it as an end user, when you only see the flashy websites, and all you have to do is take part is a couple of clicks and some bandwidth. What do you enjoy most about your job? Seeing partnerships flourish. It sounds cliché, but if you break it down, it’s good for my affiliates, it’s good for the brand, and that, at the end of the day, is good for me. I also enjoy the travelling, and getting to know
people in the industry and what their roles are. Despite the intense competition in our sector, most people are happy to share advice, a story and lots of laughs. What’s your view on the sector’s resilience to the economic crash? I think it’s a simple matter of supply and demand. In earlier downturns the universal demand for gambling services was enough to keep a limited number operations (the available “supply”) running mostly unaffected by the impact of the economic climate on the general population. Now, however, with gaming and betting services so freely available over the Internet, it would be very dangerous to become complacent, especially in such a competitive marketplace. The key is retention. Recreational players are going to go where they get more “bang for their
“The sheer size of the industry really surprised me. It’s hard to imagine it as an end user, when you only see the flashy websites.” buck”. It’s common knowledge that most players play at numerous brands, and play regularly at more than one. I believe, however, that once they identify a brand that offers them better loyalty rewards and/or the ability to stretch their deposits, they would be more likely to consolidate their gaming budget into fewer, or even a single brand. Whilst being sheltered from the worst it’s unrealistic to believe that the industry is recession-proof. What’s the strategy in the affiliate segment of the market in times like these? Diversify! I know this has been a buzzword in the affiliate industry for a long time now, but it’s probably truer now than ever. As an example, Canbet has recently launched a Cricket Betting Exchange to service the Indian market. Anybody who knows anything about India can tell you that Cricket is like a religion in India, which is one of the largest and fastest growing English-speaking economies in the world. By simply adding an additional product, and making sure that our infrastructure can support the market, we have opened up a giant door, with the potential to have millions of customers rush through it. The same goes for affiliates. A short term investment of time, money, and hard work, could expose you to a market you previously had no access to, and the long term revenues that go with it.
Away from the doom and gloom, how much of a role has the affiliate side of the business had in the phenomenal growth of the industry, and how much of a role does it have in its continued development? It has been priceless. Affiliates are active in so many aspects of the industry, including educating the market, dispute resolution, “self-regulation” of programs and casino brands, exposing the frauds; I could go on and on. These things can’t be counted in money terms, but the value is undeniable. Do you envisage any changes to the way affiliates and affiliate managers operate in the near future? Increasingly, affiliate managers are willing to openly participate in affiliate communities. Because of this more personal approach, affiliates can hold managers more accountable. Not for the things we have no control over, but certainly for transparency and service delivery. As much as what we are representatives of the programs to the affiliates, we are now also representatives of our affiliates to the programs. Is trust the cornerstone of any relationship between affiliate and affiliate manager? No. It’s the entire foundation, not just a cornerstone. It’s also probably the most fragile aspect of the relationship, and if it’s damaged, it may take a very long time to repair. That’s why as an affiliate manager I’m as transparent as possible. If I’m open and honest about everything, I can’t be accused of lying/cheating later on. Finally, we’ve reached the midway point in 2009 so what are your thoughts on the year so far in business terms, and how much progress can be engineered before next year is upon us? 2009 has held some interesting developments in the iGaming industry. The possibility of regulation in the US market has everybody excited and nervous at the same time. Personally, I don’t think it’s going to be as easy as some expect. There has been some enormous progress in the Asian markets, as well as some bold steps forward into brand new markets, like India. Competitions like the IPL cricket league has rejuvenated interest in the game, and has turned it into a viable and profitable betting market. Going forward I think there’s going to be a lot more emphasis on niche markets. It might not be visible from a global perspective, but every day we read about growing gambling markets in specific regions and countries, and it does not go unnoticed. To borrow a food analogy from David Brent: There are pies out there, and those that get to them first, can pick the best slice. ● June/July 2009 ● iGB Affiliate ● 23