Affiliate Leaders Issue 2

ISSUE 2 - SPRING 2025

Challenges & Adjustments

Learn all you need to know about Brazil’s marketing regulations

The Big SEO Preview of 2025 Take note of the best tips to elevate your SEO strategy

Behold the Evolution

Gentoo Media CEO Jonas Warrer reveals all behind the company’s recent rebrand

EDITOR’S NOTE

A NEW ERA As the old adage goes ‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’. As the igaming industry leaps into 2025, it certainly feels like we are collectively taking our first steps into a long, hopefully successful path.

most significant day-to-day topics in the industry. We take a look at SEO, assessing a whirlwind 2024 and asking sector experts what they think the main trends of 2025 will be.

Welcome to Issue 2 of Affiliate Leaders, where we put the new Brazilian market under the spotlight and analyse all the key issues that will drive debate and impact your operations in 2025.

Directors at both LiveScore Group and Checkd Group offer their perspectives on how to reach Generation Z bettors, and several executives offer their thoughts on implementing an influencer marketing strategy.

While Brazil is front of mind, our lead interview is with Jonas Warrer, CEO of Gentoo Media. Formerly known as GiG Media, Gentoo is taking the nascent steps of its own new journey as it enters its first full year as a standalone business. Warrer outlines the firm’s strategy and some of the reasoning behind the rebrand.

Not everything in the sector is rosy, though, so we take a look at the recent layoffs and ask gaming industry analyst Chris Grove how affiliates can build back stronger from a rocky Q3 of trading. Meanwhile, in North America, executives at FairPlay Sports Media and WagerWire explain how they go up against some of the publicly listed giants.

Meanwhile, the likes of Pavel Krbec of Flashscore and Chris Russell of OneTwenty Group give us their insights into how they will be approaching Brazil. Krbec asserts the importance of localisation, while Russell adopts a social-first, consistency approach.

We also have the lowdown on the marketing regulations to ensure you are as ready as can be for entering the new market, while local experts offer their sharp takes.

Aside from Brazil, Affiliate Leaders tackles some of the

Of course, we also look back at the inaugural Affiliate Leaders Summit and highlight some of the key speakers and moments of the event. It was great to see so many familiar and new faces at the Summit and, on behalf of everyone at SBC, I’m looking forward to welcoming the community to all three editions in 2025.

Sincerely, Charlie Horner

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CONTENTS

Affiliate Leaders is brought to you by SBC - Sports Betting Community.

Editor Charlie Horner Editorial Team Andrew McCarron, Martyn Elliott, Chris Murphy, Craig Davies, Jessica Welman, Joe Streeter, Ted Menmuir, Ted Orme-Claye, Lucía Gando, Conor Porter, Viktor Kayed, Callum Williams, Danny Lee, Jessie Sale, Fernando Noodt, Ricardo Assis, Ana Maria Menezes, Elisa Marcante, Justin Byers, Tom Nightingale, Kieran O’Connor, Christian Lee, James Ross.

Sales Team Rasmus Sojmark, John Cook, Alyona Gromova, Conall McCabe, Jan Kowalczyk, Richard Deacon, Bob McFarland, Craig Brown, Ed Young, Willem Curran.

Creative Lead/Design & Layout Jessica Camilleri

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Behold the Evolution

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Challenges and Adjustments

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A Global Animal Meets the Brazilian Jungle

Gentoo Media CEO Jonas Warrer chats all things rebrand and global strategy

Learn everything you need to know about the Brazilian marketing regulations

Flashscore CEO Pavel Krbec explains the company’s strategy for the Brazilian market

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Spring 2025

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Putting the Building Blocks in Place

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Riding the SEO Rollercoaster

OneTwenty Group CEO Chris Russell outlines the importance of consistency and social media in attacking Brazil

Get the low down of some of the biggest talking points in SEO throughout the last 12 months

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The Big SEO Preview of 2025

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Hear from the Decision Makers

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The Ultimate Destination

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Fluency in Influencing

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The Future is Now

Two SEO experts outline the key trends to keep an eye on to elevate your strategy for the year ahead

Four Affiliate CEOs offer expert insights into the fiveyear outlook for the industry

SBC runs down some of the best insights from the Affiliate Leaders interview series and highlights the Affiliate Leaders Summit

The use of influencers in the affiliate space is steadily growing, but knowing how to best utilise them is paramount

Generation Z is no longer just the future of online betting - a lot of them are of legal gambling age. Get expert insights in how to reach these younger bettors

All material is strictly copyrighted and all rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of Sports Betting Community Ltd. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, Sports Betting Community Ltd cannot be held responsible for any errors it may contain. Sports Betting Community Ltd cannot be held responsible for the loss or damage of any material, solicited or unsolicited. The views of the publication are not necessarily the views of Sports Betting Community Ltd or those of the advertisers.

Produced and published by Sports Betting Community Ltd: Registered address: SBC, Riverbank House, 1 Putney Bridge Approach, London, SW6 3JD Tel: +44 (0) 161 367 1250. Email: sales@sbcgaming.com. Web: www.sbcgaming.com For all the latest developments in the Affiliate Leaders community, please visit AffiliateLeaders.com

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Words by - BRENDON SPITERI -

WE’RE JUST GETTING STARTED 6

Spring 2025

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n September, SBC hosted its biggest gathering of affiliates and industry stakeholders yet. The Affiliate Leaders Summit 2024 welcomed thousands of high-profile attendees to Lisbon as part of the wider, all-encompassing SBC Summit 2024.

It is worth looking back and reflecting on the growth of this community since its inception in 2021. Back in Barcelona in 2023, we had an affiliate zone and, while a successful gathering, we knew there was an appetite for something much bigger.

So with our commitment to the affiliates community, alongside the feedback and buy-in of the industry, we managed to turn a one-zone space into an entire summit of its own, with a 150% increase in footfall, in the space of just 12 months.

Our ability to scale up the Affiliate Leaders presence demonstrates our intense care and commitment to the community, but with your cooperation and interaction, we can take it even further.

With the Affiliate Leaders opening party, two-day conference track and exposition, alongside the VIP Dinner event, there was plenty of value for our community in Lisbon back in September, but we endeavour to make 2025 an even greater experience. This includes another all-action opening party and VIP Dinner in another exquisite venue, as well as the ever-valuable content from our renowned speakers.

As we scale up the Affiliate Leaders brand even further, members should be aware that space is limited to some of these more exclusive events, and early action will reap rewards!

In 2025, the Affiliate Leaders Summit will enjoy a three-part series: at SBC Summit Rio in February, at SBC Summit Americas in May, and at SBC Summit in Lisbon in September. The series promises deeper connections and more opportunities for members to take advantage of all the things our community offers.

With this, numbers are expected to increase. So, I would recommend that, for Affiliate Leaders Summit Lisbon 2025, you book in early to ensure access to exclusive events and secure hotel reservations close to the venue. Don’t miss out on the limited space events because you left it too late to book!

We sincerely hope that you enjoyed the experience in Lisbon and want to ensure that you gain even more value out of this community in 2025.

Thanks, and see you in Rio! Kindest regards, Brendon Spiteri

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COVER STORY

BEHOLDthe EVOLUTION INSIDE GENTOO MEDIA’S REGENERATION Gentoo Media CEO Jonas Warrer gives Affiliate Leaders exclusive insights into the firm’s recent transformation and highlights some key industry trends, including his thoughts on future M&A prospects.

Words by - CHARLIE HORNER -

2024

was a year of complete transformation for Gentoo Media. Formerly known as GiG Media, the affiliate firm completed its legal split, spinning off the platform and sportsbook business, relisted as its own publicly listed company and rebranded the company to Gentoo Media.

As one can probably imagine, this requires much thought and dedication and such a transformation would be doomed to failure without a lot of strategic thinking.

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The driving force behind Gentoo Media’s transformation is CEO Jonas Warrer, who has led the company since 2019. Speaking to Affiliate Leaders from Gentoo’s Copenhagen headquarters, Warrer outlined the thinking behind the company’s radical makeover.

“I think if I can sum it up, it would probably be three keywords: drive, agility, and transparency,” he says. “The split enables us to be a faster and more focused machine that can adapt faster and be more flexible with regards to the different opportunities that we see in the market and in the different countries that we operate in.”

COVER STORY

The split enables us to be a faster and more focused machine

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COVER STORY

We still have a lot of market share to gain, so at the end of the day, there is still so much more opportunity out there

One of the key benefits of the split, in Warrer’s view, is providing a clearer message on the core operations of the business when addressing partners and investors. In its previous guise, Gentoo Media had its affiliate media unit, but also its platform and sportsbook technology unit.

Now, it offers a clearer view to those who may want to compare Gentoo Media to its global affiliate competitors.

He adds: “As an investor, you will have a lot more clarity on whether you actually want to invest in Gentoo Media or not. If we look before the split, you had this mix of the platform, the sportsbook and the affiliate company.”

From an investor perspective, Gentoo Media does appear to be an appetising proposal. The firm has recorded 15 consecutive quarters of revenue growth, while its most recent EBITDA figure stood at €14.8 million for Q2’24, at a margin of over 48%.

Meanwhile, it is a cash generative business. Aside from being a positive investment prospect, Warrer

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claims this gives it far more flexibility when it comes to pursuing new global opportunities.

“As a standalone, cash flow generative business, we have flexibility going forward,” the CEO notes.

“Do we want to invest in new markets? Do we want to do acquisitions? Do we want to pay investor dividends? There’s so many things open on the plate that, up to the split, have been a bit more limited in the sense that we also had the responsibility to the platform side of the company.”

At a time when it feels there is a real squeeze on the affiliate sector, Gentoo Media is enjoying both organic and inorganic growth. In the previously mentioned Q2 figures, the company recorded 18% organic revenue growth year-over-year.

But what is the key to this success? In Warrer’s view, it is all down to the firm’s technical capabilities and use of data analytics to inform its key decision making. The firm invested in building a singular media platform that all of its online assets are migrated onto, offering it greater security and operational flexibility.

COVER STORY

Warrer elaborates: “As we entered more countries and launched more websites, it became an issue to operate globally with quality. So it was very evident that we needed an IT strategy that can to some degree be summed up as automated and centralised.

“At the same time, we spent many years building up our BI system and data processing.

That gives us an edge in the marketplace, allowing us to understand very clearly what markets we should invest in, and whatwebsites we should invest in.”

Alongside enviable organic growth, the global affiliate also used its cash flow to its advantage by making two key acquisitions.

The purchase of AskGamblers from Catena Media and Kafe Rocks in 2023 for a combined total of €80 million strengthened the company’s global footprint and catalysed its rapid growth ambitions.

“I think you can sum it up to say that we have been more diverse in what we do,” explains Warrer, reflecting on Gentoo’s M&A activity.

“So we have a more diverse business that is reaching more markets, working with more partners, with more websites and campaigns.”

Having seen the M&A market work in Gentoo’s favour over the last two years, Affiliate Leaders inquiries whether the firm would consider future acquisitions to propel itself in new markets, such as the burgeoning scene in Brazil.

Warrer notes that, globally, while a profitable and cash flow positive business, Gentoo Media’s market share is not as high as one may expect, owing to the sheer number of affiliates on the market - both small and large.

This, he prophesies, means that more market consolidation is almost inevitable, and he doesn’t rule out Gentoo Media making more purchases in the future.

each market, and a lot of very niche, focused businesses that are very good at what they do.

At the end of the day, I actually see this as an opportunity for us in Gentoo Media.

“The trick is for us to be selective, and also be careful when it comes to timing and how fast we can do things.”

Warrer identifies Brazil as a key market of interest to Gentoo Media, as it fits into its core markets of Europe and the Americas, alongside the other well-documented benefits such as large populations and sports-frenzied demographics. Acquisitions in Brazil are not ruled out.

But one thing that Warrer is adamant about is that the firm’s Brazilian operations must fit into its current strategy which he deems as a winning formula. Each local team is invested in and expected to find the high-value keywords and optimise its operations in its locality.

Asked about its market strategy, Warrer notes: “Europe and Americans are core markets. We have seen strong growth in Europe as a whole, and we have also seen strong growth in both North America and Latin America.

“Some countries just have a higher average revenue per user because of basic factors like, higher salary or higher income of users. We look into each country, and notice that, in each country, some keywords and some campaigns or channels have higher value than others. So we have different teams that focus on each country, and their job is then actually to optimise in their country and they do what they can to attract higher value users in that country.”

Looking ahead, Gentoo Media is looking to continue building on the strong momentum it has built up over the last 12 months and take its new brand and identity into its stride.

“We still have a lot of market share to gain, and we’re maybe one of the biggest affiliates out there. So at the end of the day, there is still so much more opportunity out there.

Yet, Warrer remains all too aware of the risks that come with complacency and is spearheading a continuous drive and motivation shared at all levels of the company.”.

“I think the industry was very active a few years ago, and it seems like there’s been a little slowdown in industry roll ups, but I expect that to at one point, accelerate again, then we’ll probably see further consolidation.

There’s a lot of strong competitors out there in

As the CEO concludes: “It is about staying humble despite having success. It would be easy to sit back and say, ‘well done, let’s celebrate’, but we need to stay humble here and stay hungry for more. Otherwise, success itself can become a trap, leading to a loss of ambition.”

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BRAZIL

CHALLENGES & ADJUSTMENTS: ASSESSING THE LAY OF THE LAND IN BRAZIL As the Brazil market opens its doors, SBC Noticias Brasil Editor Ricardo Assis takes the temperature of the country’s regulations and sees where potential pitfalls could be found.

I

n December 2018, then-President Michel Temer took the first step by enacting Law No. 13.756/2018, which legalised fixed-odds betting in Brazil. A two-year period was set for the regulation of activity in the country, but the previous administration did not address the matter. Over five years later, President Lula signed Law No. 14.790/2023, finally regulating the activity in Brazil.

Due to this prolonged gap, the online betting and gaming market operated for nearly six years without a set of established rules and best practices, tarnishing the sector’s reputation in the country. The Lei das Apostas, as it came to be known, was introduced to establish norms and distinguish reputable companies from opportunistic counterparts.

To assist in drafting regulations for the sector, the Federal Government created the Secretaria de Prêmios e Apostas (SPA), operating within the Ministry of Finance (MF). In 2024, SPA was responsible for publishing 22 ordinances establishing the guidelines to be followed by industry stakeholders.

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It was a year of significant challenges for operators, suppliers and everyone else who had to adapt to the ordinances and regulations issued by SPA. Now, anxiety among players in the industry continues to grow.

The tension arises because, despite Brazil defining its set of rules for the sector throughout 2024, there is considerable pressure from politicians, industry sectors, and even parts of the media to revise certain key aspects of the law.

Ana Helena Karnas Hoefel Pamplona, PhD in Law, University Professor, and Co-founder of AMIG, highlights the challenges arising from regulating an already active market: “Regulating a sector that is already operating is extremely complicated,” she says. “Brazil has the opportunity and advantage of using other countries as examples in terms of mistakes and successes. However, it is important to remember the need to adapt to Brazilian reality. Legal transplants without adaptation and critical analysis can backfire.”

Leonardo Benites

BRAZIL

“In this sense, the biggest challenge the government faces is creating a general feeling that there is alignment among the branches of government,” adds Pamplona. “The perception that there is no coordinated action only harms the process as a whole. Regardless of any specific issue, I believe the main point to be addressed and emphasised is the existence of coherence in the actions of the branches of government.”

“It is crucial to achieve this alignment to implement a modern regulatory framework that meets the country’s needs. We must provide legal certainty to operators committed to applying for a licence and fostering a healthy long-term market in Brazil. This alignment must involve the branches of government, law enforcement, and SPA,” Benites explains.

Leonardo Benites, CEO of Propane, echoed Pamplona’s sentiments, calling for “alignment among the branches of government. We have a regulation that is about to begin but is being challenged by several associations, members of the Legislative and Judiciary.”

One of the sectors undergoing the most changes and adjustments this year was the affiliate segment. SPA/MF Ordinance No. 1231, published on July 31, 2024, set forth rules and guidelines for responsible gambling and communication, advertising, and marketing actions.

Affiliate Sector Adjustments

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“

BRAZIL

Brazil still suffers from what I call an ‘FTD arena’, where everyone focuses on the first deposit and few actually build connections or retain their players

The ordinance mandates that betting operators must diligently structure their betting systems, advertising, and marketing actions, adhering to responsible gambling principles to prevent addiction and gamblingrelated disorders.

According to the ordinance, all communication, marketing, and advertising actions must prioritise social responsibility and promote awareness of responsible gambling. The aim is to ensure collective safety, combat illegal betting, and protect minors and other vulnerable groups.

As a result, Brazilian regulations explicitly prohibit the use of the word “free” or any equivalent expression. Operators and affiliates are also barred from suggesting that sports betting can lead to wealth or associating the concept of success with gambling.

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CONAR’s Annex “X” The publication of Annex “X,” drafted by the Brazilian Code of Advertising Self-Regulation (CONAR), marked a significant step towards a healthier advertising environment and inspired many provisions in SPA/MF Ordinance No. 1231.

Published alongside Law No. 14,790/2023, Annex X sets out a series of guidelines that must be followed by all participants in the Brazilian market.

The protection of children and adolescents is one of the most emphasised topics in these rules. It mandates that all advertising must target exclusively adult audiences, avoiding symbols, graphic resources, animations, or language associated with children and teens.

Additionally, all individuals featured in advertisements must be, and appear to be, over 21 years old, making it clear that betting is an activity exclusively for adults.

BRAZIL

Joint Responsibility for Operators SPA/MF Ordinance No. 1231 addresses a critical aspect that changes the relationship between operators and affiliates. Under the regulation, betting operators can be held accountable for misleading or abusive advertising by influencers or affiliates they hire.

This increases the operator’s responsibility when briefing affiliates and influencers, as any rule violation could result in fines.

Regis Dudena, Secretary of Prizes and Betting at the Ministry of Finance, stated that the Responsible Gambling Ordinance imposes strict obligations on operators: “Betting houses must ensure transparency in their relationships with influencers, guaranteeing that all promotions are responsible and honest. Clear restrictions on advertising have been established, prohibiting promotions that suggest betting is a way to get rich quickly. Misleading advertising could result in severe penalties for betting companies.”

Attracting Users Without Welcome Bonuses Common in other markets, welcome bonuses are prohibited under Law No. 14.790/2023. With this ban, operators will need creativity to attract new customers. The use of ambassadors, influencers, and unique betting offers may become key strategies in this new landscape.

“Now, with the regulation and a clearer market vision, it’s essential for operators and affiliates to understand and engage with their players.

Brazil still suffers from what I call an ‘FTD arena’ (First Time Deposits), where everyone focuses on the first deposit and few actually build connections or retain their players.

Platforms should be spaces where players enjoy themselves and bet with the operator, not against it. Those who foster relationships and build trust will secure a significant market share,” adds Benites.

Ordinance No. 1475/2024 Shakes the Market On September 17, SPA published Ordinance No. 1475/2024 in the Diário Oficial da União (Federal Official Gazette), prohibiting the operation of sports betting and online gaming sites that didn’t apply for a licence in Brazil.

The suspension took effect in October, leading to the blocking of over 2,000 sites by the National Telecommunications Agency (ANATEL). The measure surprised many operators, as it had not been part of the government’s previously disclosed plans.

Asked whether Brazil’s legal uncertainties could drive companies away, Benites is unequivocal: “Not only can it drive them away, but it already has. Several major international players have temporarily withdrawn from Brazil, and I completely understand their position. If regulators fail to provide security for serious operators, predatory operators dominate the space.

This is why we urgently need alignment and consensus among governing bodies.”

“The typical phrase in terms of investments is that returns are proportional to the level of risk. Brazil is undoubtedly a promising market but also a risky one. There is the issue of the constant questioning of the constitutionality of gaming, the uncertainty of the tax burden, and so on. In this sense, it is essential to be advised by the best professionals as a way to mitigate risks”, Pamplona explains.

For example, multinational betting operator Betway announced in early November that it would not pursue a license to operate in Brazil, reportedly due to legal uncertainties in the country.

Among the more positively received measures was SPA/MF Ordinance No. 1143/2024, which set rules for preventing money laundering, terrorism financing, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (AML/CFT) and similar crimes.

“From my perspective, the key successes were the measures against money laundering.

The regulatory framework makes money laundering virtually impossible, as it would be prohibitively expensive to use betting for this purpose,” Benites states.

Currently, the Brazilian sports betting market generates between R$60 and R$100 billion annually, approximately 1% of the country’s GDP. As the world’s third-largest betting market, Brazil presents a significant revenue opportunity for those committed to operating within the regulatory framework.

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BRAZIL

A GLOBAL ANIMAL MEETS THE BRAZILIAN JUNGLE Pavel Krbec, CEO of Flashscore parent company Livesport, outlines the affiliate’s strategy for the Brazilian market and examines how it can captivate through a wealth of football statistics.

Words by - CHARLIE HORNER -

L

ive score apps are big business in Brazil.

And Flashscore is a leading light in the sector. Logic would therefore lead you to the conclusion that Brazil is big business for Flashscore. And you’d be right.

Flashscore, the live sports scores app and sports betting affiliate, attracts over 100 million users per month every month. Sometimes it is around 120 million, and its monthly record is 160 million monthly users. Its vast audience relies on its service to keep up to date with their favourite sports teams and leagues as well as in-depth stats.

So it is a loyal and sizable audience, which sets ripe foundations on which to build an affiliate business.

Krbec tells Affiliate Leaders that this audience is global in nature, but that there

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are certain regions that are far more popular than others.

“We are strong in European countries, Italy being a super important market for us, as well as the UK and Poland where the users are totally in love with us,” he says. “One interesting fact is that we are a Czech company, but actually the biggest reach in terms of population is in Portugal. But despite all of that, what has happened in recent times is that Brazil became our number one market.”

The firm has made a huge concerted effort to capture the imagination of the fervent Brazilian sports fanbase in recent years, given that the national audience is obsessed with football, and typically uses live score apps in order to keep up to date with the latest developments.

BRAZIL

“When I say they are passionate about the game, the statement is still not strong enough,” adds Krbec. “They really have football nearly on the same level as a religion.

“Our strategy, therefore, is obsession with the quality of the product and attention to detail.

Our sports news in Brazil was one of the first news sections that we introduced and we have an excellent news team in Brazil, which covers the local leagues.”

The mantra of localisation cannot be overstated enough when it comes to the Brazilian market, especially for global operators and affiliates with a history of success in various markets. It cannot simply be a case of copying and pasting a strategy into Brazil.

Krbec and his fellow Flashscore executives are all too aware of this, and have developed a strategy for Brazil based on data and insights.

For example, the firm notes that Brazilian

audiences are far more likely to consume Flashscore content on Android mobile devices, compared to Europe which is more desktop-oriented. Accordingly, Flashscore is much more tailored to the mobile experience in Brazil.

Krbec explains: “Localisation is so, so important.

We cannot just uniformly serve one language, so we ensure to use the Brazilian variant of Portuguese language. Another example of our localisation is that we can cater to Brazilian audiences very well for the Champions League, as it takes place in the afternoon there. People can come home from work or school and get on the FlashScore app to see all the breaking news and statistics from all the games.”

Part of the company’s digital and mobile first strategy is the use of storytelling through the data it has available. It does this through visualisations, articles and audiovisual content such as videos and podcasts.

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BRAZIL

“

Anybody can buy their own data, but the devil is in the detail

In Brazil, a nation of fans who love to sift through the stats and data according to Krbec, it is essential to bring this data to life through datadriven overview videos and podcasts fueled by the stats.

This is a key differentiating factor between itself and others on the market, claims the Flashscore CEO.

“Anybody can buy their own data, but the devil is in the detail, and that is in the way that you present the data. We spend so much time with our product team designing statistical pages and deciding which stats to include. We even discuss not including certain

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stats on a page because we believe they could be misleading to users.”

The use of data within its Brazilian operations is crucial to Flashscore’s success in the country because of the analysis it has done on its audience.

The firm uses a five persona test, using theoretical Flashscore users to work out how to tailor its content to a certain nation.

For example, in the Netherlands, the typical user is in his 40s or 50s and likes to meet with his friends in the pub and use the app to keep up to date with the local leagues.

“The same persona is not very strong in Brazil”, notes Krbec, “where we have a much younger audience, who is more obsessed with statistics and with analytics.” Consequently, the firm uses a “secret sauce” to reach these audiences and help convert them into bettors for their operator partners.

This will be of even more significance as the regulated market comes into play. A lot has been made of the proposed marketing standards in the regulated market from the Ministry of Finance, but overall, Krbec is pleased with the balance struck. He says the framework will not be too prohibitive for his business.

“We welcome the sports betting regulation as long as it is reasonable.

There are examples in some European markets when the regulator is simply trying to destroy sports betting. This is very wrong, but we do not see this happening in Brazil.

“So far we see that the regulation is going to be better than the current status quo, so we are welcoming it. As a media company with an audience which is obviously a great fit for sportsbooks, a regulated market is something that we are welcoming and we are gonna take advantage of.”

As a firm that has been operating in Brazil for some time, Flashscore already has established deals with leading operators in the nation, and is in talks with existing global partners who are looking to enter Brazil. This, the CEO notes, puts it in a strong position to be a leading affiliate in the market.

And, as for the future, well Krbec concludes that the firm new products in the pipeline for Brazil, including a brand new video studio so it can continue producing premium-quality videos for the local market.

As he closes: “We have built a fantastic TV studio in our Prague headquarters which will produce content globally. We have the perfect Brazilian moderator, so the public can expect tailored Brazilian statistical content with world class live score and data services.”

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BRAZIL

PUTTING THE BUILDING BLOCKS IN PLACE

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BRAZIL

OneTwenty Group CEO Chris Russell shares the firm’s strategy for its Brazilian market entry, and outlines its ambitions to build a hyper engaged, fan-led community.

Words by - CHARLIE HORNER -

B

razil is top of mind heading into 2025, with hundreds of brands entering the regulated market. However, with a highly-educated player-base and a sports-frenzied audience, tapping into these consumers and converting them into newly depositing players may not be so easy.

ago. Russell has overseen a period of sustained organic growth, culminating in the group’s acquisition of assets from Catena Media’s UK and Australian business.

The group now reports annual revenues of over £20 million and makes profits of around £5 million.

As Brazil has had a flourishing grey market for many years, players already know where to go for betting, and they are well attuned to the different products available. Therefore, the theory goes, affiliates have to outline a different content strategy to win in this behemoth of a nation.

‘Audience follows attention.

Money follows on.’

One such affiliate looking to capitalise on the Brazilian opportunity is OneTwenty Group, which is taking its BettingOdds.com brand into the nation. The brand is well known in the UK, and OneTwenty Group also has well established brands such as Squawka, but how easy is it to adjust this success to Brazil?

“What we want to do in Brazil is to recreate some of the fan engagement experiences that we have in the UK,” says Chris Russell, CEO of OneTwenty Group. “And that’s how we feel is best to enter such a big market where, at our size, we can’t make enough noise with just blunt force marketing.”

BettingOdds is an odds comparison tool which operates in an affiliate model, working with operators to convert fans into bettors.

Russell notes that the odds comparison model can work very well in Brazil, owing to the well-educated and experienced bettors.

“We’ll replicate what we’ve done in the UK, in Brazil,” he adds. “That will be our aim; we’re using betting odds effectively as the spearhead.”

OneTwenty Group has enjoyed significant success since its inception under a decade

Knowing what it takes to enter new markets is something that has underpinned the group’s success, and while Russell notes that it aims to replicate its UK strategy in Brazil, this doesn’t simply mean copy and paste.

“It’s not that we want to replicate our UK strategies, but it helps us kind of build a mental model. If you take like darts or Squawka or GG, what you’ll find is that we lean into creator led traffic. You’ll see that on Squawka, Instagram and TikTok are probably the main sources of traffic for the site.

“We’ve tried to take fairly traditional assets, such as GG.co.uk, and build a fandom ecosystem around them where we can really engage and bring back the audience, grow the audience and bring back the audience on a consistent basis. Now, racing fans recognise GG as the right place to come for their fandom.”

The firm utilises content creators in the niches it works in to create “fan-led experiences”, something which Russell states is essential for building long-term relationships with consumers.

He argues that traditional marketing can be incredibly expensive in a market such as Brazil, therefore investing in well-researched, responsible creators that are well-known in a specific niche, can be a much more efficient way to market an affiliate’s presence.

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“We’ll try to find some creators in a responsible way that we can partner with to try and grow our brands in the market. Because the way we feel about building an audience is the audience follows the attention and the money then follows on. We always think about audience attention, and then you’re going to be able to commercialise it thereafter.”

So, when thinking about Brazil, OneTwenty Group is switching attention to those who can engage with sports fans in those niches BettingOdds is targeting in the nation. Of course, football will be the primary focus, but Russell also looks towards futsal, basketball and Formula One as other sports that could prove incredibly popular.

“Capturing the attention of the Brazilian market, we believe, is a very social experience,” he says.

“So at the forefront of our minds will be to find partnerships between our product and various creators or presentors, who are very strong on individual social platforms in that market to help promote our product.”

Brazil is such a scintillating market for affiliates due to the audience knowledge and betting experience, argues Russell. And for platforms such as BettingOdds, which helps bettors find the best odds on the market, finding experienced players only helps its cause.

Russell notes that Brazil’s sales funnel is much shorter than that of the US when markets first opened there, for example.

“In the US, if there’s an education piece to be done, the sell is much more soft, whereas when you have mature grey markets, the player really understands what they’re looking for. This makes it easy for platforms like BettingOdds to enter the market because players know that they’re looking for odds and understand how to compare odds.

“It’s a benefit from that perspective, but where I think it poses a massive challenge is trying to compete in a market that hasn’t pivoted from the unregulated market.”

It is important to put the Brazil opportunity into perspective. It can sometimes be lost in the conversation and excitement how competitive and saturated the market could be in the coming months. Inevitably, some will fail. Equally likely is that consolidation will hit the market, as seen on the operator side.

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BRAZIL

Capturing the attention of the Brazilian market, we believe, is a very social experience

Russell wants OneTwenty Group to be best positioned in Brazil so it can be at the right place at the right time when it comes to the M&A market.

“Our belief is that in the industry we’re in, consolidation is real. We believe the long term winners are entering Brazil right now. When we see $350 million being spent for 51% of the fourth largest local operator, we see the long term winners start to own the market.

“That’s what excites us, when we align ourselves with the long-term winners, a rising tide carries all boats. Those businesses give the ability to focus not just on performance marketing that affiliation once was, but on the audience building piece that allows us to follow our mission rather than just following the typical buying and selling of a first time deposit.”

Having a clear vision is certainly the best way to prepare to enter a market like Brazil, and one thing for sure is that OneTwenty Group is all-in on creating engaging fan-led communities for each of its niches.

As Russell concludes: “You can expect us to build a creator-driven audience and deliver a fandom element across our products, which will allow us to hyper-engage the end-user, and to create really meaningful relationships.”

SEO

RIDING THE SEO ROLLERCOASTER 2024 posed several challenges for the affiliate business, particularly on the SEO front. Affiliate Leaders speaks with two experts to roundup the highlights from a landmark year.

Words by - DANNY LEE -

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workers within the affiliate marketing space have experienced a tumultuous 12 months.

Changes to Google’s and other search engines’ strategies and constant Artificial Intelligence innovations have presented both challenges and opportunities for SEO professionals as they compete for top SERP spots.

Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness (EEAT) continues to be emphasised by search engines and their algorithms, with SEO leaders demanding the utmost attention to detail from their colleagues as industry knowledge becomes increasingly valuable.

Victoria Buttigieg, Head of Content Strategy at Game Lounge, emphasised the importance of being knowledgeable in an igaming industry that covers several niche topics, with an aim for her team to show that “we are the experts”.

The SEO leader was involved in an SBC Webinars discussion on Generative AI within the sector, where she suggested that “the fundamentals have remained the same” when it comes to an increasing use of AI tools to produce SEO content.

“Generative AI is a relatively new tool but people need to keep in mind that the fundamentals have remained the same for SEO practices.

Anything, whether it’s generated by a writer or

by AI, should still be edited and looked through.

“We need to continue to train our teams to have SEO knowledge and an understanding of best practices, as well as igaming knowledge, to be able to edit content and know whether it is worthy of being published or not, or what details need to be added.

“I’ve used ChatGPT to produce news pieces where there has been a big win on a certain provider’s slot at a particular casino, and we’ve had our first iteration of the output mix up the casino brand with the slot provider.

“That’s where someone definitely needs to come in and understand the different players for each particular piece to make sure that the

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final piece of content is actually accurate and correct.”

Buttigieg explained that encouraging SEO workers to “think of those little details” and tap into a wealth of knowledge covering the vast subsections of the igaming industry will only help to combat an increasing reliance on EEAT. “What would an expert know, versus somebody who doesn’t have that knowledge, and how can we show that expertise,” she continued.

“For example, with slot reviews, can we refer to the history of certain features? Can we point to any similar games? Can we make sure that we are showing that we are the experts and knowledge-holders in this particular industry?”

MediaTroopers CTO Clinton Cutajar also reiterated the importance of humans intercepting AI-generated content before it reaches the reader, however he did mention that running content through several AI tools can also help to achieve SEO success.

Cutajar commented: “I’m a believer that it shouldn’t only be AI that produces content, but tests should be mixed with multiple AI systems while also providing that human touch to gain the engagement.

“Because, after all, if a human is reading something that is machine-generated, there isn’t going to be any engagement. If there is that personal touch, that personal feel, then the engagement will increase.”

In and amongst constantly-evolving AI tools, a number of changes within the services offered by search engines have caused “volatility” within the SEO space, according to Buttigieg.

“One word that’s come up frequently this year has been volatility,” she said. “With volatile SERPs, people tend to get very reactive and want to drastically change or fix pages that are dropping in performance.

“I caution against that, and see that the affiliate marketing companies that thrive are the ones with solid on-page SEO and content best practices.”

These feelings were brought forward by glitches in Google’s AI Overviews, as Buttigieg referred to “questionable” results being presented to users, such as Overviews “describing the ‘health benefits’ of running with scissors or taking a bath with a toaster”.

While these issues were supposedly corrected in a later August Core Update, Buttigieg also mentioned that Google’s move to index Reddit results was “huge” as it placed “a new spotlight on user generated content” and got SEO workers thinking about how best to position their websites on the social media platform.

However, Buttigieg explained that this wasn’t ever going to be a “quick win”, emphasising that gaining SEO success via these channels requires “interesting, useful, platform-first” content that “actively engages” with the community.

Looking ahead at how recent innovations in technology could shape the next few years of SEO, Buttigieg returned to the topic of AI by suggesting that “there is still much more for igaming affiliates to explore”.

“It may seem a bit dated or overdone to cite AI and automation as the future of SEO, but I believe there’s still much more for igaming affiliates to explore.

“

If a human is reading something that is machinegenerated, there isn’t going to be any engagement

“

She noted that the past year has been “a lot to navigate”, as Google’s Core Update back in March “claimed to focus on content quality and relevance”, but rather left the SEO space wondering whether it truly “championed helpful, quality content”.

SEO

“As I said earlier, the principles of good SEO that provide longevity have remained the same. What makes the difference between good and great affiliates is the ability to do these basics faster and better than the rest.

“Turning to AI to get this ‘rinse, repeat’ work done then frees up time for marketers to explore other options, including content pieces that may require more research and time to produce but stand the chance to become the website’s hero content for years to come.”

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Players value authenticity, so it’s important to approach them in a way that feels transparent and relatable

Catie di Stefano

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SEO

THE BIG SEO PREVIEW OF

2025

Affiliate Leaders takes a look at some of the biggest SEO talking points heading into 2025 and assesses whether Google will continue to reign supreme.

Words by - CHARLIE HORNER -

I

t has been well-documented that 2024 was a game-changer for the SEO industry. A series of Google Core Updates throughout the year upended the space and caused a lot of affiliates to completely change their strategy in a bid to not be deranked. Affiliates’ rankings, media partnerships and ways of operating have been forced to change.

Conquering Google’s Updates Now 2024 is behind us, the industry wishfully anticipates 2025, hoping that things return to some semblance of normality.

Catie Di Stefano, Marketing Director at Smartico.ai, is an experienced affiliate marketing professional and notes that the unpredictability of Google’s updates has kept SEO teams on their toes.

“It’s no longer just about keywords or backlinks; it’s about creating meaningful, highquality content that genuinely serves users.

Google’s frequent changes make it harder to define a ‘successful recipe’ for SEO on that platform alone, and in many ways, SEO can be even more effective on other search engines where algorithms may be less unpredictable, like TikTok, LinkedIn or Facebook, for example.

“In my experience, brands that do SEO correctly are the brands that prioritise content relevancy,

personal user experience, and community engagement, which creates a wholesome approach that aligns with both search engine requirements and personal touches.”

Following those updates, which placed more emphasis on high-quality content and less on AI-driven insights, some publishers have had to abandon their plans for new methods of creating and promoting content.

For James Barber, Head of SEO and Strategy at Digital Marketing Agency Go-Up, businesses should focus on brand-building rather than trying to game SEO in order to climb up the SERP. Barber explains: “Strong brands win. Having a recognisable and trusted brand will be invaluable. AI-driven tools are amplifying this shift by guiding users toward brands with high ratings and positive mentions across the web, from forums to review sites. Brands that maintain a strong online reputation will continue to have an edge, so forward-thinking companies will use SEO not just to rank, but to strengthen brand sentiment and close content gaps that reinforce their expertise.”

Di Stefano resonates with this notion, and has noticed this trend in igaming affiliation. In fact, in a bid to build up the strongest brand, Di Stefano highlights that some are taking to the M&A market.

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The opportunities are endless with videos; only your imagination is the limit

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“I’ve also noticed some big operators buying up affiliate websites to remove the competition and promote only their brand,” she adds. “While this can give them short-term visibility, I don’t think it’s a great long-term strategy.

Restricting content to only one brand can reduce the site’s perceived credibility and limit its appeal. Audiences look to affiliates for diverse options, comparisons, and genuine advice.”

Exploring Reddit Opportunities One trend that both experts identified is the rise of Reddit as a core tool for affiliates’ SEO strategy moving forward.

Reddit has become a go-to source for users’ search queries and the number of people searching for Reddit at the end of their queries has steadily increased over the last five years.

This rise, Di Stefano says, is indicative of a key consumer behaviour shift.

“The Reddit trend shows a growing preference for community-driven information over traditional search results, where content can often feel curated or overly promotional. And while

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Google remains the main search engine, platforms like Reddit provide a level of trust and transparency that’s hard to replicate when searching on Google.”

But what should affiliates do to capitalise on this trend?

“My advice to affiliates looking to use platforms like Reddit effectively is to prioritise genuine engagement over direct promotion,” Di Stefano adds.

“Reddit users value authenticity and are quick to spot self-promotion, so it’s always super important to participate in discussions, answer questions, and offer valuable insights without pushing a product or service too much.”

Meanwhile Barber, despite acknowledging the importance of the rise of Reddit as a search tool, is a little more tentative about its use case and warns over the amount of spam content on the platform.

He notes: “As more people find Reddit posts through Google, certain communities, or subreddits, are getting flooded with spam from people trying to promote specific brands or bury their competition.”

Is Google’s Heyday Over?

With Google’s updates hitting affiliates hard in 2024 and changing consumer habits, some have begun to hypothesise that Google’s reign as the number one source for information on the internet is over.

Short form video content such as TikToks and Instagram Reels have captured the minds of younger consumers, forcing some to think that Google’s heyday could be over.

While Di Stefano outlines that Google is still the top dog for search queries, she does recognise that user generated content and other community-driven spaces offer trust and transparency that is tough for Google to compete with.

She elaborates: “For affiliate marketing, this means creating content that’s highly visual, engaging, and optimised

for mobile. I’ve seen that affiliates have had to start focusing more on shortform video content, interactive guides, and social media integrations to appeal to this generation. You will also see more conversions from affiliate widgets with real-time updates on odds. Players value authenticity, so it’s important to approach them in a way that feels transparent and relatable.

“As consumers increasingly prefer video content over written content, I think that affiliates can leverage these platforms to highlight products through quick tutorials, reviews, or ‘day-in-the-life’ style videos that feel real and relatable. The opportunities are endless with videos; only your imagination is the limit.”

However, Di Stefano warns that merely posting video content is not enough.

SEO teams must still have input into multimedia content to ensure that all content still complies with the EEAT principles. Without EEAT values, she asserts, the content is worthless.

“By showcasing real experiences and offering credible advice through multimedia content, affiliates can, without a doubt, build a reputation for trustworthiness and authority, which resonates with viewers and can positively impact SEO,” Di Stefano explains.

Yet, Barber is not ready to write off Google’s long-term credentials. While newer platforms will enter the fray, he explains that Google’s reputation and trustworthiness amongst consumers will ensure its position as the number one platform for search.

“Despite rising competition from platforms like Perplexity, ChatGPT, and even TikTok, Google will remain the top dog in search,” Barber says.

“While competitors innovate with AIdriven tools and new ways to search, they often struggle to make these offerings profitable. Google, on the other hand, continues to refine its technology and leverage years of user behaviour data, maintaining a competitive edge that rivals just can’t match.”

MARKETS

HEAR from the DECISION MAKERS Four affiliate marketing CEOs discuss the biggest topics in the market for the next five years and how they will approach each challenge, including AI, SEO and Generation Z. Words by - JESSICA WELMAN -

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T

he earnings reports for Q3 were, to put it mildly, a terrible, horrible period for some of the biggest affiliates in the business.

Not only did companies like Catena Media and Better Collective revise down revenue projections but both executed substantial layoffs, including wide swathes of the US content teams.

It is certainly a period of reflection for affiliates, but during a conversation at SBC Summit 2024, some of the biggest names in the industry congregated together for a panel looking ahead at what the next five years of the affiliate world holds.

Before thinking ahead though, the group began by assessing the Google update that, among other things, fundamentally shook up the partnerships between affiliates and major media outlets, rendering many pages within the deals useless in the matter of a day.

“I think media partnerships were a very important part of the business for affiliates, and they will continue to be. But I think the Google update reset the way they work and put it in the right place. I think we saw a lot of media partnerships where content was just put in the wrong places.

There was no integration. There was no natural fit,” noted Catena Media CEO Manuel Stan.

It wasn’t just gaming either. Stan cited the example of the business publication Forbes ranking number one for pet insurance.

Catena has terminated many of its media partnerships in the wake of the update, but it is retooling its remaining partnerships to improve those integrations.

For Gentoo Media CEO and Affiliate Leaders Issue 2 cover star Jonas Warrer, the update reiterated the need to have a broad range of assets.

“I think the Google update, at least, to me, stressed the importance of having a wide portfolio of websites so you remain diverse, and so you lower your risk in the market,” he told the audience.

Like Stan, he said the changes have the company reevaluating its approach to media partnerships.

The media partnerships were a major part of the update, but Google also cracked down on AI content.

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“Google’s made a big signal to say, if you’re not thinking about your user and what they’re going to do in the behaviour and fitting things around their needs, then we’re not going to rank you, because all we care about is that second click,” added GameLounge CEO Richard Dennys.

How to get that second click remains a moving target and truly varies from region to region. For example, Warrer noted that heavy amounts of text on site still works well in Germany, while conventional knowledge for the rest of the world is that users are seeking a streamlined site with quick answers to user questions. The popularity of video also varies from country to country.

Though there is no quick fix, for some, AI is still the answer to their problems. For others, they are more sceptical.

“Content has to be helpful. Add value. Be useful.

I would love all of my competitors to do a lot of AI content, so I highly recommend it. It’s the way forward. Very low cost,” Warrer joked.

For Raketech Chairman Ulrich Bengtsson, even those sides of the business need some work. The former William Hill CEO compared the AI he has seen to “high school” and thinks it needs more time to evolve.

“I still think there is a lot of work that needs to happen before you, in a real corporate environment, can let this loose and actually benefit from it,” said Bengtsson. “I work with many different types of companies and try to deploy AI in many different parts of a business, I still haven’t seen a proper, industrialised, sort of real robust user case, to be honest.”

Not everyone was so down on AI though. Stan, whose company has invested heavily in AI content, said there are people out there who are figuring out how to harness the technology.

“You see smaller affiliates that have done a great job using AI that we’re all so scared of using, using it better than us and actually closing the gap to us,” Stan observed. “I think from a content perspective, AI can be highly beneficial. I don’t think it can be used singularly as a tool to do content, but it can be used as a tool to help content writers to build their stories.”

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MARKETS

We saw a lot of media partnerships where content was just put in the wrong places

Looking ahead, the group also noted that Google remains paramount to the business, but there is an awareness that the way younger people are looking for information is evolving and there needs to be a wider view of the horizon in that respect.

Dennys referred to Gen Z as a “peer-to-peer generation” because they seek information and answers from their peers instead of the internet. The process of information acquisition is becoming decentralised and the group said there are more discussions about how to bring the product to the user versus expecting the user to find the product.

Looking ahead, both in the discussion and in the earnings calls, affiliates are acknowledging that the heavy investment in North America bore fruit as states rapidly legalised, but now that the pace of new markets has slowed, it’s time to reassess how much to rely on first time depositors.

“The US didn’t develop the way we might have thought it was going to develop. From an affiliation perspective, from an operator perspective, it became twice the size than even the wildest estimates. Affiliation did not follow for all kinds of reasons which we don’t have time for,” Bengtsson noted.

He was referring to the time in the panel, but the sentiment remains for affiliates in general right now. In order to right the ship, the future needs to avoid the pitfalls of the past. There is still hope that Google, media partnerships and AI are some of the tools to return these companies to prosperity, but success will require a different approach to all of them.

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SPOTLIGHT

THE ULTIMATE DESTINATION Words by - MASHA TSNOMPILANTZE -

2024 has been a game-changer for SBC. We shook things up, moving our flagship event to Lisbon, welcoming a recordbreaking 25,000 attendees, and debuting the unforgettable INFINITY party, headlined by some of the world’s top DJs.

into a full support network offering members a range of benefits — from priority speaking opportunities and high-visibility features in our interview series to VIP dinners that connect them with key players in the industry.

We also took our first steps in Brazil with SBC Summit Rio and shared an ambitious vision for SBC Summit Americas, combining SBC Summit Latinoamérica and SBC Summit North America into one powerful, regional event with fresh insights and energy.

As the community blossomed, we knew we needed to go all-in.

But perhaps one of our proudest moments was the launch of the Affiliate Leaders Summit.

Making its debut in Lisbon, this new addition quickly became the talk of the industry and is set to feature at our biggest events SBC Summit Rio, SBC Summit Americas and, once again, in Lisbon in 2025.

Affiliate Leaders isn’t a brand-new idea— it started as a way to connect affiliates across the industry, offering a space to exchange insights and foster a genuine sense of community.

But over time, it’s become so much more than that. Affiliate Leaders has grown

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That’s where the Affiliate Leaders Summit comes in—an event built specifically for affiliates, taking place during SBC’s biggest shows, complete with its own show floor, conference agenda, and dedicated networking spaces. It’s a place where affiliates can connect with operators and each other, focusing on the partnerships and possibilities that matter most to them.

It’s all about making sure they get the spotlight they deserve within the world of SBC events. Here, we’d like to share some of the top insights from our Affiliate Leaders and give readers a flavour of the expertise on offer at our Summits.

By amplifying their voices, we not only celebrate affiliates’ successes but also foster a collaborative spirit where the community can learn from each other’s experiences and challenges.

SPOTLIGHT

ELAINE GARDINER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, TAG MEDIA

JIMMI MEILSTRUP, CEO, VITA MEDIA GROUP

“Affiliates today face significant challenges regarding payment security from operators, primarily due to the rapid emergence and equally swift disappearance of new operators and affiliate programs.”

“Retargeting is a complex topic. Interacting with a certain ad or site is not a very strong signal. At Vita Media Group, we’ve found that the key to effective paid media retargeting lies in understanding the user journey.”

EUGENE RAVDIN, HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING, MIGHTYTIPS

JENNY GONZALEZ, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, ROCAHEAD

“Regardless of the region, having proper SEO, a strong website with a clear and convenient UI/UX, and quality content is always a good idea. SEO is our core tool at MightyTips, and the rest is not just marketing strategy but pure respect for your potential customers. Treat people with respect and give them what is useful, and they will eventually appreciate it.”

“Brazil has always and will always be a world of its own, from its culture and payment methods to its online behavioural patterns and customer lifetime value. For us, this requires tapping into a very specialised knowledge of the marketplace as well as traffic sources that operators might not be familiar with.”

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SPOTLIGHT

MATEJ NOVOTA, HEAD OF DATA & COMPLAINTS, CASINO GURU “First of all, regulators should try to make regulated markets more appealing and competitive by requiring higher standards and better services. Key steps include making licensed casinos easily identifiable, enforcing reasonable regulations that do not stifle business, and ensuring that regulated casinos provide better benefits than unregulated ones.”

JULIAN PAWLUKIEWICZ, CEO, JOHNNYBET “We create our own indicators, rather than relying solely on those available publicly in the industry. Quick reaction is the foundation of our business operations, which is why we use the best tools available on the market.”

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NIKOS OLYMPITIS, CEO, KINGBET MEDIA “Expanding into new markets is always our greatest challenge and biggest opportunity. Changes in the regulatory environment across regions are the main factor influencing our decisions for expansion. We have decided to operate only in regulated regions.

With that in mind, the UK and Nordics are part of our plans for 2025, and we are also exploring opportunities in LATAM.”

PAUL PUOLAKKA, CMO, MR. GAMBLE “Running an affiliate business today involves significant costs, from content creation and salaries to data, hosting…and the list goes on and on. The affiliation business has evolved from small-scale operations to more sophisticated businesses with substantial overheads.”

SPOTLIGHT

SEBASTIAN PARIS, COO & PARTNER, BWISE MEDIA

WILLIAM ARMITAGE, CO-FOUNDER, BESTODDS

“Operators often deal with complexity and high manual workloads in media buying, especially when entering new markets. Our publishing partners sometimes lack the experience in understanding operators’ needs or do not have a well-connected sales team to fully monetise their properties.

“I’ve mentioned the need for revenue diversification.. Some of the big affiliates have naturally taken that to heart, through both geographic and vertical expansion. It’s hard to be a one-trick pony in this space, which is why the behemoths in our industry are adept at generating leads through all sorts of angles.”

The Affiliate Leaders Summit was created to spotlight these trailblazers, providing a dedicated space where they can connect, collaborate, and focus on the opportunities that matter most.

We look forward to seeing this community grow even stronger in 2025, so make sure to mark your calendars:

SBC Summit Rio: February 25-27 SBC Summit Americas: May 13-15 SBC Summit: September 16-18

NATASA STOJCIC, HEAD OF COMMERCIAL, BLEXR

Remember, affiliates enjoy complimentary access to ALL SBC events. Apply for your ticket on the official event websites!

“When it comes to technology, its rapid evolution compels everyone who wants to stay in the game to deliver quality and remain proactive with innovation. Thankfully, the quality of products has improved significantly.”

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MARKETING

FLUENCY IN INFLUENCING

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MARKETING

Influencers can be an incredibly effective way of reaching a loyal and lucrative audience when entering new markets.

But there can be dangers and risks of using these independent influencers.

Affiliate Leaders investigates…

Words by - JOE STREETER -

A

s operators look to get ahead in the Brazilian market, influencers can be vital in enabling them to truly engage with their audience.

That being said, a strategic approach to influencer collaborations is of the utmost importance. Those using influencers should not only be sure that they have a strong enough audience to justify the partnership, but there needs to be a strong relevance factor as well.

The Brazilian market illustrates why operators and affiliates need to have a solid strategy for influencers.

When Elon Musk’s X platform felt the wrath of the government and was temporarily banned, some of the nation’s biggest influencers lost access to a portion of their audience.

Speaking on an SBC Webinar, Luiz Felippe Correia de Almeida, CEO at Smart Social Brasil, underlined that X’s temporary ban in Brazil hindered the company’s revenue.

“It should act as a key lesson for influencers and affiliates, who need to dilute the risk and diversify the platforms they are on,” Correia de Almeida explained.

Carlos Sanchez, CEO at TipsterChat, issued a stark warning that this type of regulatory action may continue across global markets. “We will see governments being increasingly restrictive with platforms and platforms being more restrictive with industries such as betting and gambling.

“It is important that, as an industry, we can provide tipsters and influencers with an alternative, because I don’t see how things are going to change.”

Sanchez cited the evolution and innovation that has taken place within “one of the more restrictive jurisdictions”, Spain, where there was very little leverage for marketing.

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Telegram is a real challenge.

It is a jungle and influencers can do whatever they want

“Sportsbooks came to us with their tipsters and shared the bets, they explored different angles that can be followed when markets become increasingly restrictive,” Sanchez said.

“But I agree, it does make it more complicated to operate in different markets.”

transformational period when it comes to its relationship with influencers in Brazil.

The political volatility around Telegram is also something that has raised alarm bells for influencers, who will be eyeing stability when it comes to how they engage players, according to Sanchez.

She added that this has led to an extra level of caution when collaborating with influencers that are already established in the market, as they may have a history of promoting shady casinos.

He did, however, highlight that Telegram presents one of the key issues, claiming it provides an option for influencers which doesn’t necessarily require them to comply with legal requirements. “Telegram is a real challenge. It is a jungle and influencers can do whatever they want,” said Sanchez.

“We are very careful to choose influencers whose values align with the operators we work with and we are very careful with training and briefing influencers so we provide training sessions in extensive detail with influencers, making them feel like a true extension of our team.”

Alessandro Valente, Co-Founder of Super Afiliados, who was also deeply critical of the decision in Brazil to ban X, as he deemed the whole situation as “a mess”.

“Blocking things is outrageous. We shouldn’t be seeing this in Brazil if it is a democracy,” stated Valente, as he expressed concern for companies that have spent large amounts on ads and influencers who make their living on social media.

Valente revealed his belief that this type of regulation is indicative of the challenges that influencers will face in Brazil, as authorities look to bring in a framework that sanctions them for promoting bonuses and other such activities.

“

On the SBC Webinar, participants highlighted that education is essential to success with influencers, especially when it comes to regulatory compliance. This is particularly pertinent in Brazil, which has a betting culture built around a tapestry of tipster content.

Marina Lima, Project Manager at Clever Advertising Group, outlined that the market will go through something of a

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Perhaps indicative of the wider market, she said the state of play right now in Brazil is somewhat confusing, as there are a lot of influencers that are not promoting gambling in a responsible way.

Lima added that there’s a level of authenticity and relatability that influencers bring to marketing, which simply cannot be replicated by traditional advertising approaches.

Tipsters also have a deeper level of engagement in an organic way from audiences of all demographics.

Furthermore, a key part of the strategy when it comes to developing partnerships with influencers needs to be identifying the difference between content creators and influencers.

Whilst creators draw major numbers, they don’t necessarily impact the habits of their viewers, the panelists claimed.

Correia de Almeida pointed out the importance of not solely relying on numbers when analysing which influencer partnerships are right for each operator.

Lima agreed that whilst first-time depositors (FTDs) are the main priority, the initial stage of the partnership should see a focus on creating quality content.

Sanchez echoed this sentiment that high-quality content is far more beneficial than any other source of advertising when it comes to generating FTDs.

The only daily news podcast in the industry.

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CONTENT

THE FUTURE IS NOW Directors of two large media publishers give the inside track on how to target Gen Z users and build meaningful relationships with them.

Words by - CHARLIE HORNER -

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CONTENT

O

ne of global gambling’s biggest challenges is being able to cater to a wider group of consumers, particularly as operators scale up and look towards a recreational player.

The post-pandemic igaming explosion has seen operators become increasingly desperate to reach out to the next generation of bettors in a bid to acquire younger adults and build sustainable long-term growth for their business.

Yet Generation Z has been talked about in a mythical and elusive fashion. Yes, Gen Z is a digital native, social media savvy and perennially online generation of consumers. But even referring to Gen Z as the next generation seems outdated. The truth is that a significant portion of these consumers - those born between 1997-2010 - are already of legal gambling age.

Gen Z is no longer the future; they’re here.

That’s why it’s essential for operators and affiliates to develop a strategy for Gen Z users as quickly as possible so as to not miss out on the significant opportunities this generation offers.

One affiliate group that has been attuned to Gen Z and how to reach them is Checkd Group, a UK-based affiliate which operates, amongst other brands, the Footy Accumulators social brand.

James Prosser, newly installed as Growth Director at Checkd Group, explains: “Checkd Group has always had a strong understanding of Gen Z audiences, ever since launching Footy Accumulators on Facebook and Twitter over 10 years ago. Even with the passing of time, around two-thirds of the current social following are Gen Z’ers.”

The Footy Accumulators brand is an example of an affiliate building an active following and audience on social media, before converting them into bettors. It is a strategy that has reaped rewards; Footy Accumulators has 700,000 followers on X at the time of writing and over one million users in total.

“Our direct access to communities on X.com has given us some unique insights into our audiences and their demands,” Prosser adds. “Younger audiences demand authentic, engaging and high-quality content. They are less brand loyal, forcing quality standards higher, and far less patient than older users. Generally speaking, short-form, easy-to-digest content appeals to younger audiences more, but there are exceptions.”

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I have seen studies that say as many as 99% of Gen Z users will skip pop-up banners if the option is available

One of Gen Z’s quirks is that, generally, they are not bound to just one platform. The rise of TikTok, Discord and Reddit in recent times only illustrates this trait. And those affiliates attuned to this detail are set to benefit, argues Prosser.

“In recent years we have increased revenues (and reduced our reliance on individual platforms) by expanding existing brands to new channels. One key learning has been that each social media channel is unique. Reusing content across channels is a false economy.”

One medium that Checkd Group - and many others - has tapped into is podcasts. The firm launched ‘No Tippy Tappy Football’ in 2022, which sees cult hero former Bolton Wanderers and England manager Sam Allardyce give his insights on current ongoings and reminisce some classic tales from his career.

Prosser tells Affiliate Leaders that the show has generated over 1,000 pieces of PR content in 2024 alone.

Another way of building a fundamentally strong relationship with Gen Z users is by having a clean, user friendly platform. The growth of live score apps and their utilisation in the affiliate market has demonstrated their extraordinary ability to garner the attention of users. Gen Z are particularly adept at considering data in their consumption of media and sport.

James McCarthy, LiveScore Group’s Managing Director for

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Media, says: “Our approach to content is built on creating quality, engaging content that provides user satisfaction.

“We’ve carefully crafted our platform’s design, navigation, and user-friendliness, which has enhanced the overall user experience. This focus on highquality, engaging content helps us retain a substantial audience, driving both traffic and user loyalty.”

McCarthy also divulges on LiveScore Group’s strategy to drive further traffic to its media platforms, which include several partnerships. The group is also embarking on a mission to converge the landscape between sports, media and betting, driven by its CEO Sam Sadi.

“Our strategy centres around forming meaningful and mutually beneficial partnerships that expand our reach and bring our content to wider audiences,” McCarthy adds. “These collaborations have been key to driving growth and ensuring that LiveScore remains at the forefront of the sports affiliate space.”

When strategising specifically for newer audiences, affiliate content, marketing, PR and SEO teams must consider the tech-savvy and digital native characteristics of Gen Z. This means they have learned internet tips and tricks to get around less desirable aspects of their online experience.

Prosser warns that this means certain tactics are less effective: “I have seen studies that say as many as 99% of Gen Z users will skip pop-up banners if the option is available, and that’s reliant on them even seeing it in the first place, it is estimated that nearly two-thirds of Gen Z’ers are using ad blockers.”

However, Checked Group’s Growth Director notes that the industry should paint all Gen Z users with the same brush at their peril, explaining: “There is an everpresent danger of oversimplifying Gen Z. There are numerous subcohorts with different desires and needs. To cater for this, each of our brands takes a markedly different approach to content, providing for different types of users.”

So, how should the industry approach Gen Z users? It’s a conversation that has been ongoing for some time and will continue to be had on conference sessions for some years to come, but as aforementioned, these users are of betting age and are ready to be acquired.

Offering advice for affiliates, Prosser concludes: “Find niches which fit your strengths; they exist across all channels. Always think long-term. Build content and products to fulfil your user’s specific needs, rather than to make yourself money. Finally, understand your audience, whether that is reviewing product data, and speaking directly to your communities.”

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SPOTLIGHT

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Every time when a player gets a good rating from us they’re sharing us on social networks

TOPPING THE CHARTS Sofascore’s Co-Founders Ivan Bešlić and Zlatko Hrkać explain how its player ratings tool has become one of the most popular content tools in the affiliate industry.

Words by - CHRISTIAN LEE -

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essi or Ronaldo? Or more recently, Rodri or Vinicius Jr? The question of who was or is better has fuelled debates in stadiums, beer gardens and living rooms since the beginning of organised football.

Now, thanks to the rise of live score and player ratings platforms like Sofascore, algorithms can break down a game and tell you exactly who was more deserving of the player of the match crown.

In a Q&A session on the Super Stage at SBC Summit 2024, Sofascore’s founders, Ivan Bešlić and Zlatko Hrkać, detailed the rise of the app from humble beginnings in a small town outside of Croatia’s capital, Zagreb, to a company comprising over 300 employees.

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“We didn’t have a plan to go in this way,” explained Hrkać, CEO of Sofascore. “Our first plan was quite simple, we just wanted to make a product that is working. It’s happened now and it’s true that we now have 300 employees. But it just happened like this because we were growing organically.”

At the heart of Sofascore’s offering is its player ratings system. The algorithm, which Hrkać boasts “is really the best”, generates a score out of ten for players from more than 200 competitions.

According to the company, over three million performances have received a rating and one in 3,000 performances score the perfect ten.

SPOTLIGHT

“We are trying to cover as many leagues as possible, but it’s really hard to get a player rating that is automated and is the same for every league and for everyone,” said Hrkać.

“If you are best in the league based on Sofascore’s rating, this is something really unique,” said Hrkać. “It’s not a political decision like with some other events that are giving prizes for the best players.”

“The first three years when we released the rating [in 2015/16] it was really tough for us because everyone was complaining. But now we are enjoying that the professional players are using it and every time when a player gets a good rating from us they’re sharing us on social networks.”

These words were perhaps foreshadowing the controversy around the awarding of this year’s Ballon d’Or, as many believed that Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr should have received the honour instead of Manchester City’s midfielder Rodri.

The new Sofascore trophy also includes a piece of grass from Brazil. Alongside Brazilian football legend Zico, Sofascore has started the Field of Dreams project, to “strengthen the focus on the next generation of football players”.

Zlatko Hrkać

Each year, Sofascore hands out Player of the Season awards based on their ratings.

For this season, the company will present a re-designed trophy to the top player in 50 different leagues around the world.

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SPOTLIGHT

We are enjoying that the professional players are using it

As part of this effort, Sofascore renovated one of the pitches at Zico’s football academy in Brazil, which was then divided into unique pieces and incorporated into the 50 trophies.

Brazil is a region of the world at the tip of the tongue of operators and affiliates alike as January 2025 marks the opening of the country’s regulated online gaming and sports betting market.

He added: “Our approach is the same in Brazil as we have in other countries. We are lucky that we can get player ratings for all the leagues and we have an application part of Sofascore where you can find the lower leagues that nobody is following except a few hundred people from some local club, but we want to be a place for all of them.

“The younger generation wants to see deep statistics, and everything about their favourite players and clubs, so we are growing and Brazil is number one for us for the last several years.”

Sofascore’s value as an affiliate relies on the app having a large and engaged user base. Currently, the Sofascore website integrates odds from bet365 alongside its plethora of live statistics.

During the session, the founders spoke about the challenges of working with live data and the importance of accuracy to maintain player engagement, stressing that their priority is to be “correct and fast”.

Bešlić, the company’s CSO, said: “It’s hard to work with live data. When you have a newspaper which you write once, you push that article and you are safe.

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Ivan Bešlić

Hrkać described the occasion as a big opportunity for operators as the people of Brazil are “crazy about sports”.

“For data, you need to be careful about your speed and you need to have a perfect website which is working in every second of the match. If the users feel that something went wrong, they will go to the competitor.”

Hrkać confirmed that the firm has no plans to work with operators to provide such a market. Instead, its focus is on further developing its algorithm, unless, Hrkać conceded, they get an “offer we cannot refuse”.

Hrkać added that they have even had complaints from users that their app is faster than the action they are watching on TV and have asked for Sofascore to delay their notifications.

The continued rise of sports betting and the proliferation of sports media through television and social media means that fans and bettors alike are more hungry than ever for every morsel of statistical data.

The Sofascore player rating appears to be perfectly set up as an aspect of football that could be bet on and Dejan Kosanovic, CMO of Mozzart Bet and chair of the Q&A, floated the possibility of offering the Sofascore rating as a betting market.

Although hesitant to share more details, Hrkać concluded the session by promising that Sofascore is “working on so many things”, no doubt in a bid to quench the public’s need for information, and will release something new in the next three to six months.

The heritage news portal of the SBC Media portfolio, providing daily insights and opinion on all segments of the European sports betting industry.

The premier destination for betting industry news in the USA, Covering the sports betting, and online and offline casino industries across the 50 states.

The leading Spanish-language portal covering news from the betting and gaming industry, across Latin America, North America and Spain.

From the heart of one of the fastest growing markets in the world, providing industry-leading coverage of the Brazilian and global betting industries, in Portuguese.

A news portal covering the latest developments from Eastern Europe and Central Asia, delivered by an expert local editorial team.

The leading source of betting and gaming industry news covering Canada and global stories with Canadian interest.

RG

CREATING A SAFE SPACE Casino Guru Head of Sustainable and Safer Gambling Šimon Vincze explains how affiliates can make a winning strategy out of safer gambling.

Words by - VIKTOR KAYED -

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afer play is often placed front and centre when it comes to evaluating the gambling sector’s ethics, trustworthiness and overall responsibility towards its duty of care. Dictated by the regulators and passed down to the operators, RG policies should be well incorporated into the customer’s life cycle.

“Affiliates have often overlooked but influential positions in the industry, as they are at the beginning of the gambling journeys of many players,” says Vincze. “They usually search the internet for information on online gambling opportunities or to learn more about a brand they know.

This is as much of a requirement for private businesses as it is for state-owned entities - with two of the most recent examples being Kindred’s ongoing commitment to reducing revenue from high-risk players, and Svenska Spel’s reversed but similar in purpose approach of reporting revenues generated by low-risk punters.

“Even though affiliates’ capabilities to interact with players are reduced compared to the operators, they play a crucial role because they can influence an individual’s gambling experience.”

But these are all internal processes, generated by players who have already tapped into the operator’s ecosystem. This article will explore something different with the help of Casino Guru and its Head of Sustainable and Safer Gambling, Šimon Vincze.

Together we will look at what happens at the entry point itself - namely the work behind gambling affiliates - and whether the approach towards safer gambling is as rigorous there as it is everywhere else.

The essence of the affiliate marketers’ job suggests that they carry a hefty amount of responsibility in what they do.

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In addition, affiliates and their advertising specifically in the UK - are closely supervised by a number of regulators that are heavy hitters when it comes to rule infringement.

In the UK, this is the job of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) led by its CAP Code, which puts both gambling advertisers and affiliates under scrutiny if they are found in breach of that code.

There is also the Gambling Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising, developed by a number of trade association heads and the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) to precisely guide operators and their affiliates through the regulatory landscape of the UK.

RG

Šimon Vincze

In the sense of running a commercial business, responsible gambling is about making players spend their money slowly

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I would like to see an end to affiliates targeting self-excluded people. It is a deceitful practice with no easy solution

In Vincze’s words, however, there are still some affiliates whose practices are questionable when it comes to safer gambling, and which should be dropped.

“I would like to see an end to affiliates targeting self-excluded people. It is a deceitful practice with no easy solution. On the other hand, there are some cool innovations regarding evaluating operators and providing safer gambling information.

“There are two reasons why this is important. The first reason is that normalising responsible gambling tools or measures as part of the gambling activity will increase the rate of people embracing it.

“The second point is that it will put operators into comparison with others, creating a push for those not providing sufficient responsible gambling measures, as they’ll be seen as the ones with deficiencies.”

In other words, having robust responsible gambling practices in place is not only a good source of building up a reputable portfolio, but could also be easily transformed into a sustainable commercial model and can be a competitive advantage.

Vincze explains: “In the sense of running a commercial business, responsible - or rather sustainable gambling is about making players spend their money slowly. While it might be a bold way to put it, gambling companies are here to make money, and we want them to do so in a regulated environment.

“I believe that no conversation or consideration regarding safer gambling practices is complete without commercial consideration. Ultimately, what you want to achieve is to prevent people from spending more than they can afford.

“The financial advantage of this approach is that these people will likely continue to spend money with an operator for a longer time. For a gambling company, this represents a much more predictable and reliable strategy, as it decreases the number of people who experience significant harm from gambling and the pressure from the public and policymakers.”

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At the end of the day, access to high-quality educational tools are needed on each side of the spectrum for the above to be well understood. This is where Casino Guru comes in, taking the role of an ‘alchemist’ who offers a mixture of ingredients that when combined can positively influence both players and operators.

“Casino Guru ensures that both players and operators remain informed as best as they can be,” adds Vincze.

“In terms of educating operators, we primarily focus on our Casino Guru Academy, which offers free educational courses on various areas of online gambling, including safer gambling. Over the years, these courses have become quite popular, and many companies continue to register new employees for them.

“Educating players regarding safer gambling is a challenging task. Most players believe they are not the ones who need it, not the ones who are problematic or at risk of falling into addiction.”

Putting his words into practice, Vincze has contributed to helping make the gambling space safer for players by running a campaign with Mindway AI on its risk assessment game, Gamelyze.

Casino Guru has supported the campaign by creating several widgets and a newsletter to ensure players know about the game and feel motivated to try it.

“The game allows them to test their gambling style, learn about responsible gambling practices, and gain education on the risks of online gambling in a natural and fun way,” says Vincze.

“That said, it is kind of an alchemy to find the right spots in players’ journeys to educate them about responsible gambling naturally. The hard part is to figure out how and where to implement safer play information, as the player’s main intention is to gamble and not care about such stuff.”

MARKETS

CLIMBING THE LADDER While the US industry is dominated by a few big beasts, there are other challenger brands looking to make headway. SBC Americas’ Justin Byers assesses how these brands are competing.

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he American gaming industry is seeing a seismic shift in how operators leverage brands and companies to acquire and retain customers. The adolescent US gaming market has been dominated by major corporations with smaller players deploying innovative and unconventional practices to carve out market share in a dynamic competitive industry.

FairPlay Sports Media, a London-based sports media network, is utilising its experience in the affiliate space to navigate regulatory standards and generate revenue in the U.S. “We’ve had 25 years of running a digital property in the sports betting market in the UK and we’ve learned some really valuable lessons about building technology platforms that can serve customers in a meaningful way,” FairPlay Sports Media CEO Stuart Simms tells Affiliate Leaders. “We took a lot of that knowledge and learning of regulatory standards and how to operate in those markets when we came to the US. Even in non-regulated states, we can still provide tools and technology for fans to access our predictions.”

FairPlay, a rebrand from Oddschecker Global Media, is reaping the benefits of a US gaming market that requires operators and their partners to adhere to strict standards.

“It is important to us to be able to work well in a regulated environment, which is growing at a quick pace in the US, although it has slowed down recently presenting challenges to our affiliate competitors,” says Simms.

Change Of Plans The challenges are impacting some of the largest players in the affiliate business.

Catena Media recently laid off more than two dozen employees in an attempt to streamline its content and marketing teams. The layoffs amounted to approximately 10% of the company’s workforce with costs related to the job cuts expected to reach $423,000. Catena estimates savings of around $2.3 million annually from the round of layoffs.

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The Malta-based company cited its heavy reliance on new market launches in the US for its organisational changes. Prior to its latest round of job cuts, Catena had approximately 300 employees globally with one-third based in North America. It previously conducted a round of layoffs in 2022 on shared services between its European and US teams.

Better Collective, which has seen more than 400 million visits across its media network, cut ties with more than 300 employees earlier this year. The cuts represent approximately 15% of its total workforce. The digital sports media group, owner of Action Network and Playmaker HQ, cited its 35 acquisitions as the reason to downsize its workforce.

XLMedia has made the decision to fully exit the affiliate business.

IN 2024, the company agreed to sell its North American domains to Sportradar in a deal that could be valued at up to $30 million. XLMedia offloaded its North American domains after previously selling its European and Canadian assets to Gambling.com Group in a transaction worth up to $42.5 million.

XLMedia made the decision to sell its European and Canadian assets in an effort to focus on the North American side of the business.

XLMedia’s North American domains that have now been sold to Sportradar include Crossing Broad, EliteSportsNY, SportsBettingDime and SaturdayDownSouth.

Just The Beginning The US affiliate industry is undergoing a slew of changes as the market quickly matures following the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018.

“The one thing to remember is the US market hasn’t even really started,” says Simms.” We talk about it as if it has been around for decades and it’s enormous but it’s going to get a lot bigger. In phase one, there were brands that really bet big on signing large media companies and publishers because there’s so much interest in US sports.

There was a Piranha-style-like frenzy on trying to get as many customers as possible.”

MARKETS

“FairPlay Media kind of stood back and let that happen and it’s played in our favour,” says Simms. “I always talked to my team, especially with being a product technology business, that we should be really trying to play where the puck is going rather than where it is.”

Valuable To Business FairPlay, which has an affiliate business that makes up roughly 30% of the company’s total revenue, joins WagerWire in taking a different approach to bringing customers to operators.

“How we approach our affiliate business is to first create affinity and give people a reason to like you. Then, create community around that love that you’ve created and harness that energy and use technology to convert customers, track them and maximise them,” adds WagerWire Co-Founder Travis Geiger.

WagerWire provides a marketplace for bettors to buy and sell previously placed bets or daily fantasy sports contest entries. The company is garnering interest from fans amid the ongoing changes in how operators are leveraging companies to acquire customers.

“It’s a new paradigm for a lot of reasons and one is where people are getting their information has changed,” says Geiger. “They can’t be induced in the same old way; they have to feel like they’re choosing. So, if you’re trying to sell something onto them then they’re going to pull back.”

Despite several companies changing their approach to the US affiliate market, the business has allowed emerging brands in gaming to solidify a footprint in the industry.

“The affiliate industry is a way to develop a relationship with operators and start building value with them,” says WagerWire CEO Zach Doctor. “From a strategic business development standpoint, it’s been big and helping drive

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Even in nonregulated states, we can still provide tools and technology for fans to access our predictions

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The frenzy of deals left some of the smaller players in the affiliate industry out of luck but proved to be beneficial for companies with experience in navigating the business.

profitability. The affiliate side of our business can pay for the technical development side of the company while being a nice way to continue to grow.”

WagerWire will continue to take advantage of its affiliate partnerships across gaming.

“If we had only been a white-label widget business we probably wouldn’t exist today because the industry is changing and it’s a different fundraising environment,” says Doctor.

“The ability to grow as a startup and being able to have a brand presence and growth with everything on our affiliate side of the business has been absolutely massive for us.”

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DON’T BUY TO SURVIVE Industry analyst and Partner Emeritus at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming Chris Grove advises affiliates to go private after the Q3 earnings season resulted in hundreds of job losses.

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Words by - CHARLIE HORNER -

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sually, when reading financial reports and listening to the earnings calls of the leading affiliate groups, one can spot consistent trends across the board. It takes a little bit of reading between the lines and interpretations, but an overall picture of the health of the sector can be painted through these reports.

In Q3’24, no such interpretation was required.

Almost across the board, the financial and operational health of the sector was questioned, with guidance being lowered and layoffs being made at several affiliates.

First it was Catena Media, which laid off around 10% of its workforce. Then, Better Collective stunned the sector when it announced around 300 job losses.

CEO Jesper Søgaard took to LinkedIn to explain the decision, writing: “Unfortunately, this plan also includes the difficult decision to part ways with some of our colleagues. Each of them has played a role in shaping Better Collective into what it is today, and for that I owe them all a big thank you!

“The decision was not made lightly, but prompted by lower than expected performance, in particular due to shifts in the US market as well as a continued slowdown in commercial activities in Brazil in anticipation of the upcoming regulations – markets that in recent years have been growth drivers for BC and which we still believe have strong long-term growth potentials ahead.”

Meanwhile, Manuel Stan, Søgaard’s counterpart at Catena, cited similar issues. “We have responded to market challenges by shifting resources away from loss-making products and into those that we

believe have the best potential to generate longterm value,” he stated. “I believe that this strategy will position us for success in the coming quarters.”

One abundantly clear takeaway from this earnings season is that the US is not the goldmine it once was. With state launches drying up from the 2020-2022 period and CPAs across the board plummeting, it’s a much more difficult environment for affiliates to navigate. Illustrating this point further, Rush Street Interactive CEO Richard Schwartz noted that CPAs were down by around a third, to the detriment of affiliates.

But it seems like a short time ago that the US was the excitement of the industry. Chris Grove is Partner Emeritus at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming but was instrumental in the emergence of the online gaming affiliate sector in the US, building brands such as PlayUSA and PlayNJ that are now the cornerstone of Catena’s North American assets.

Grove tells Affiliate Leaders that interest in the sector wasn’t huge until the repeal of PASPA in 2018, but that once people realised the size of the New Jersey sector, interest exploded.

“Our team was lucky in terms of timing,” he says.

“We pursued a non-obvious market right before it took off, and we adopted a few content models that were novel at the time, including the hub-andspoke model for individual state sites like PlayNJ. com and the trade publication approach with sites like LegalSportsReport.com. Both resonated with consumers and with Google.

“If we tried to run the same playbook starting today, there’s no way we’d enjoy the same success.”

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He adds: “Interest started accelerating once the size of the New Jersey market became a bit more obvious and again after Pennsylvania joined the party. Catena made their first US acquisition around this point.”

Play USA Media and LegalSportsReport - both founded by Grove - were sold to Catena Media in 2017 and strongly positioned the firm to take advantage of the rapid number of state launches for online sports betting between 2019 - 2022.

Catena shifted its focus completely to North America, selling off European and Australian assets. However, the firm has decided to resize its operations to realise stronger profitability of its portfolio.

Grove explains that layoffs were likely due to the vast amount of M&A activity undertaken across the board in recent times.

“The layoffs would have been less severe if the companies were private,” he explains. “That’s not the only issue; a steady diet of M&A tends to lead to bloated and inefficient corporate structures, shifts in Google have upended margins, and the US opportunity evolved in a way that was uniquely negative for affiliate companies. Some resizing was inevitable. But probably not to the degree we’ve seen in recent months.”

It isn’t just the fact that there has been lots of M&A activity that has driven the layoffs. The structural makeup of the market is also a key driver, argues Grove. He notes that the market being made up of fewer, larger PLCs has increased pressure on leadership to drive profit margins higher.

“Being a publicly traded affiliate makes sense when there are many fragmented, inefficient properties in the market, and you can buy those companies at a multiple lower than your trading multiple. It makes far less sense once you move beyond the M&A era and into the operational era.

“In short, arguably, none of the major affiliate companies benefit from being public companies now. That’s the root of their current struggles.

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Grove admits his team were lucky as they spotted the US opportunity before others. This put him in a strong position to help the global affiliate Catena enter the US once they became interested.

The layoffs would have been less severe if the companies were private

There are other problems, but being public is probably the biggest - and being public magnifies every other issue affiliate companies face.”

Undoubtedly, leadership at affiliates across the sector will be drawing up plans to navigate out of this tricky period and resize in a sustainable way that can help the respective companies build back stronger.

Yet, with his analyst hat on and reflecting on his years of experience in the sector, Grove is unsure that remaining listed is the correct course of action for some of the affiliate space’s biggest names.

He concludes with a word of advice: “Go private and commit to investing in long-term strategies.

Invest in building brands. Invest in asymmetrical content strategies. Invest meaningfully in emerging products. Forget about M&A for now unless you have no other way to survive.”

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RAISING THE BAR FOR ENGAGEMENT Affiliate Leaders speaks to Matteo Giannone, the CEO and Founder of Casino2k who emphasises the importance of flexibility for casino affiliates.

Words by - JOE STREETER -

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s European markets become increasingly challenging, the role of creative marketing and affiliates takes on heightened importance.

Matteo Giannone, Founder and CEO of Casino2k, one of the leading affiliate websites operating in Italy, stresses that casino affiliates require agility and adaptability as they adapt to new market frameworks.

Providing an oversight of Casino2k, he details that the company was established in 2008, making it one of the country’s oldest affiliates with a continued upward trajectory of growth since its formation.

Giannone also outlines that the Casino2k team is an intimate one, with them placing a strong focus on getting the intricacies right and ensuring their content fits the bill for Google.

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“With being a compact team, we have the ability to adapt and remain flexible, which is vital as we rely on Google”, says Giannone, who also reveals that the affiliate can make big decisions efficiently without going through the ordeal of extensive red tape.

He adds that when Google shifted to focus on more established brands, their heritage meant that they weren’t forced to embark on a significant transformation.

Dissecting the Italian market specifically, Giannone says that Casino2k was one of the early adopters of a more ethical approach to igaming marketing.

“It’s not just a matter of money for us, it’s a matter of understanding what the player wants and giving them options to choose where to play, how to play and which games to play themselves,” he explains.

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Affiliates expanding into new regions should be meticulous in their approach to compliance and their advertising should be focused

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“The market framework tightened in 2011. We are fine with the regulation because we are doing marketing in a very soft way. We are not trying to attract people aggressively, but people are looking for us and looking for information.”

the latest news and updates from this vertical of the industry.

Giannone offered his support for strict regulation that halts advertising during sports events, suggesting they’re essential to ensuring that exposure of gambling for underages is mitigated. The SEO approach, according to Giannone, provides a strong filter for honest websites to maximise engagement.

“In Italy, we have around 36 operators right now. So people can take a look at all the offers and compare the bonuses and again decide for themselves where to play.”

He also underlines his backing for self-exclusion tools being utilised in the Italian market, as he states providing players with the ability to pause their playing experience is crucial and “very ethical” when it comes to social responsibility, and sets apart the regulated sector from the offshore sector.

He highlights his belief that lessons from more mature markets are vital for those that are currently emerging, citing LatAm and North America specifically.

“New markets having tight regulations is a positive thing in my opinion. Affiliates expanding into new regions should be meticulous in their approach to compliance and their advertising should be focused”, he says. “They need to get their strategy right and ensure they are targeting the right audience.”

One method in which Casino2k ensures it maximises engagement is through its bonus engine, which Giannone states is a “crucial part of our offering”.

“Bonuses and promotions are two variables that change and evolve all the time. Through our news portal we keep players coming back by bringing

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“If there is something new happening in the industry, we inform the player and enable them with the best tools to make the decision of where to play.

Giannone also elaborates on his stance on AI within igaming and the affiliate space, dismissing the idea that it will replace the human touch within game creation.

Instead he cites Netflix as an example of how it can be utilised by the igaming industry – smoothing the player process for when they look to engage with an operator site, bringing them the fast track to bonuses and games that it knows they will enjoy.

“AI can raise the ceiling on personalisation, like how when you sign into Netflix you’re immediately greeted by things you want to engage with – there’s no reason igaming should be different.”

With such a wide variety of games being created, Giannone urged the industry to “think outside the box and build something completely new”.

“The industry has the resources to innovate and push the envelope in terms of games creation, I don’t know why we don’t see it as much.”

From an affiliate perspective, he believes that innovation and new levels of engagement will come from forums, however, he would like to evolve the forum space and integrate news into these platforms – making them less about industry gripes and more about honest discussion.

BINGO

BINGO! Affiliate Leaders chats with FTD Digital Operations Director Sue Dawson about her career, the nuances of online bingo affiliation and the company’s standing in key markets.

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Words by - MASHA TSNOMPILANTZE -

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ffiliate Leaders: Hi Sue, and thank you for agreeing to this interview. First off, congratulations on your recent promotion! You’ve been with FTD Digital for several years now. Could you walk our readers through the evolution of the company from its inception to the present day?

Sue Dawson: When I started back in 2012, the company was mostly just me and Luke Creigh (the CEO).

I was originally hired as a freelancer to carry out keyword research for a PPC campaign that had nothing to do with gambling! We started Best New Bingo Sites in 2013, and it soon began to rank really well, probably because of a particular piece of well-researched and very detailed longform content. We were thus very well placed to cash in on bingo in its heyday. In 2017, we preempted changes in the industry by moving into slots and casino games as well, and this is now the majority of our revenue stream.

We have been fully remote since 2020. We love the flexibility this gives us and have no plans to run an office again, though we do meet in person a few times a year.

AL: FTD Digital has an array of comparison sites, including ones that focus on niches like bingo and others tailored to specific markets.

Could you walk us through these offerings?

SD: Currently we have: WDW Bingo: UK bingo, slots and casino Best New Bingo Sites: UK bingo and slots Casilife: Japan casinos Lucky Hat: Canada-focused casinos We have also run a number of other comparison sites in the past, mostly for PPC traffic, but aren’t doing PPC at the moment due to margins being so tight.

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AL: You spent several years working for Best New Bingo Sites, producing and curating content. It seems that many brands have shifted their focus to other verticals, often overlooking bingo. What can you tell us about the modern bingo player?

SD: Massive changes have taken place in the market, largely due to smartphones.

More than 80% of our traffic is mobile, and many users don’t have any other device. This has shifted the player demographic away from the traditional older, female audience. We’re also seeing that many modern players are more sophisticated and have an appetite for other types of games as well as bingo.

The bingo games themselves have become less immersive and more suitable for playing on a mobile phone in snackable chunks.

With less emphasis on chat and community (which don’t work too well on a mobile phone), bingo is being repositioned as a game among many others rather than as the main event.

Pragmatic Play’s bingo product has made it easy for casino operators to add bingo as an extra feature. In the hands of an operator who understands how to use it as an engagement and retention tool, bingo can still be very powerful.

AL: FTD Digital operates in several highly regulated markets. How challenging is it to keep up with the new guidelines that frequently emerge in markets like the UK? SD: It’s a lot of work to ensure everything is compliant, and sometimes we have to do development work on the website to comply.

A recent example is enabling extra links to be inserted in the terms and conditions we have to show with all offers.

We pride ourselves on how on top of everything we are, and indeed, we often find ourselves pointing out to operators that their landing page isn’t compliant!

AL: The company also runs a comparison site in Canada, a relatively new market. How do user behaviour and preferences there compare to other markets you’ve worked with?

SD: Lucky Hat is actually aimed at the unregulated part of the Canadian market, which isn’t really new. We did consider Ontario but were unsure about entering a market where we wouldn’t be allowed to advertise welcome offers.

In the unregulated markets, we find players are much more interested in payment methods and in the trustworthiness of casinos we review.

AL: When it comes to content production, a key focus for any affiliate, what are the best practices and priorities, especially given the changes in Google algorithms and the advent of AI that have shaken things up?

SD: Look to see what your competitors are doing and do it better, preferably adding your own unique angle.

Check your website metrics to see what sort of content is getting the

“

With less emphasis on chat and community, bingo is being repositioned as a game among many others rather than as the main event

“

We also have to exert strong editorial control over all our content. Because of this, it’s really important to keep up with what’s happening in the industry and what further restrictions could be just around the corner, and to have a plan in place ahead of their enactment.

BINGO

most engagement and create more of it. Conversely, if you have content that isn’t getting any engagement, consider rewriting or even removing it. Reach out to new audiences.

And always think about what your users are going to be interested in next month, next year, and further into the future, and be ready.

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SLOTS

YOU BE THE JUDGE Slotsjudge Editor-in-Chief Aleksandra Andrishak tells Affiliate Leaders about the importance of slot design and consumer demands in creating great games.

Words by - MASHA TSNOMPILANTZE -

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SLOTS

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ffiliate Leaders: To begin, could you walk us through the inception of Slotsjudge? Which regions does Slotsjudge primarily serve, and what unique niche does it aim to fulfil within those markets?

Additionally, how does Slotsjudge set itself apart from its competitors?

Aleksandra Andrishak: Slotsjudge was conceived as a platform for gambling enthusiasts to discuss games, share their feedback, and learn more about various features.

Today, fans of slots have more than just a platform to read about casino games. Slotsjudge keeps gamblers engaged with tools like SJ coins, which players earn for leaving comments describing their experiences on certain games.

The site is global, so players from different regions are welcome. Our aim was to create a virtual space where everyone could be entertained and could communicate with others, rather than just read about promoted casinos. I hope we did it well.

AL: As Editor-in-Chief at Slotsjudge, could you highlight some of the most significant trends in slot game design that you’ve observed recently? How are these trends shaping the future of player engagement?

AA: I firmly believe the igaming market is now well saturated with slots covering different themes and features, and providers keep on releasing new ones. This translates into similar games being developed by

different providers. As a result, casinos may not add every single game like they used to, instead focusing on games with a more specific approach to entertaining the audience.

I hope that AI will solve this issue and help providers find a more targeted and personalised approach. Players will easily find what they want and won’t get confused with endless libraries of similar content.

AL: With the increasing sophistication of players’ expectations, how do you think game developers should approach integrating bonuses and features to enhance player satisfaction while maintaining profitability?

AA: In my opinion, players shouldn’t get everything at once.

Expectation and receiving something rare yet desirable should rule the market since players who get an infrequent bonus will remember this excitement and appreciate it more than a range of simple, yet accessible, bonuses in a row.

The current system built by providers strikes a middle ground, and I think it will remain relevant for some time.

AL: Slotsjudge provides comprehensive reviews and insights into various online casinos. What criteria does your team prioritise when evaluating and recommending casinos to your audience?

AA: We have a ranking system applied to evaluate each online casino.

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“

SLOTS

Our aim was to create a virtual space where everyone could be entertained and could communicate with others, rather than just read about promoted casinos

These are “reliability,” ensuring our readers have a secure experience; “usability,” because it’s important not to spend hours searching for a particular casino section; “promotions,” especially low-wagering ones; and available software, including slots and other types. We also consider payments, mobile optimisation, and customer support, including response time and how the team solves players’ issues.

AL: Affiliate marketing plays a significant role in promoting online casinos. From your perspective, what are some effective strategies for affiliates to engage with their audiences and drive conversions in the competitive igaming market?

AA: Our strategy is built on being not only a professional affiliate but also a player’s friend — a real person who not only provides information but also shares a fair opinion, even when casinos or games have pitfalls.

I believe that the modern market demands relatability, and this is true not only for igaming. That’s why we provide information about everyone involved in the project, including authors, streamers, and the board. Transparency and sincerity are fundamental to successfully promoting online casinos.

AL: Could you elaborate on the role of player feedback and data analytics in shaping the editorial and content strategies at Slotsjudge?

How do you ensure your content remains relevant and valuable to your audience?

“

AA: Our live streams demonstrate that any falsity is quickly noticed and judged by our audience, so sincerity is a must in our industry.

We read comments from players and consider their complaints or wishes.

In other words, the key elements are maintaining a two-way dialogue, being unbiased and fair, and having a transparent editorial policy.

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