iGB Affiliate 65 Oct/Nov | Page 11

WEBMASTER NEWS PADDY POWER BETFAIR SETS ‘ONE STRIKE’ POLICY FOR AFFILIATES PADDY POWER BETFAIR to has revealed details of a new ‘1 Strike Policy’ for affiliates, in an effort to ensure consistency with its own regulations and guidelines set out by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). In a message sent to members of the Gambling Portal Webmasters Association (GPWA), the operator said any affiliate found to be operating against internal regulations will immediately be suspended from the program. Paddy Power Betfair also outlined the main activities that affiliates should avoid if they are to remain in line with regulations. These include no SMS marketing, advertorial style marketing or pop unders, as well no media buying, unless a set domain list can be provided of where the brand will appear and the affiliate is using a provided creative. The operator also advised against email marketing to a database of users where the email looks like it is sent on behalf of Paddy Power Betfair, while challenge or tipping style pages must make clear that it is a challenge and must not imply that success is guaranteed. Paddy Power Betfair also said that any sign-up offers must include the words: ‘New Customer Offer, T&C’s Apply 18+’, while any promotions on social media must also have the 18+ bio. In addition, when conducting paid social advertising, the operator said that this should be paid ads for the affiliate site and be clear it is the affiliate site they are advertising, rather than the Paddy Power Betfair brand. The operator also advised affiliates to only use creative from its media library or Dropbox folders, rather than using any homemade creative, unless signed off by a member of the team first. Paddy Power Betfair added: “We take the Gambling Commission Guidelines very seriously and want to ensure that all our affiliates are behaving in a responsible manner. “With recent announcements in the sector it is imperative that we hold ourselves and our partners to the highest standards and ensure that we are not conducting marketing practices that are prohibited by The Gambling Commission, the ASA or other regulatory bodies.” CATENA MEDIA APPOINTS EKDAHL AS ACTING CHIEF EXECUTIVE CATENA MEDIA has named Henrik Persson Ekdahl as acting chief executive with immediate effect, following the departure of Robert Andersson. Ekdahl serves as a member of the board of directors at Catena and also a partner at Optimizer Invest, one of the main owners of the company. Prior to his time with Catena, Ekdahl served as chief executive of various major gambling companies, including Betsafe and Betsson Group. Although Catena did not disclose the reasons behind Robert Andersson’s exit, it did say in a statement that it has opted to initiate the change “in order to fulfil the company’s strategy, continued growth and to increase shareholder value”. Andersson will be paid an amount equal to six months in accordance with his contract, as well as a severance payment that corresponds to an additional six months salary, with details of these payments to be declared in the firm’s next interim report. It is not yet clear how long Ekdahl will serve in the interim role, with Catena confirming it will seek a permanent replacement for Andersson. Kathryn Moore Baker, chairwoman of Catena Media, said: “Catena Media has been through several growth stages in a short period of time. “Robert Andersson’s assignment was to take the company through an IPO and later to introduce it to Nasdaq Stockholm’s main market, which he did with great results. “Now, a new phase starts, which marks a new era in Catena Media's success going forward. “We will continue with our strong growth strategy and look for a permanent CEO in due time.” SLOTSMILLION SET FOR UK LAUNCH; ACQUIRES LADYLUCKS.CO.UK SLOTSMILLION IS TO EXPAND its services into the UK market after parent company ALEA.com acquired a licence from regulator the Gambling Commission. Punters in the UK will now have access to the 3D virtual reality online casino and its range of more than 700 slot games from 26 games developers. SlotsMillion operates with a mobile-first approach and its portfolio of 500 mobile games will be one of the largest in the UK. In addition to mobile, players can access SlotsMillion and its games via desktop and tablet devices. Alexandre Tomic, co-founder of SlotsMillion, said: “Launching in the UK is a huge milestone for SlotsMillion and one we are very proud to have achieved”. In October, ALEA also completed the acquisition of LadyLucks.co.uk from International Game Technology (IGT). Launched in 2004 as the market’s first mobile-only casino, LadyLucks.co.uk will now be offered across both desktop and mobile channels. ALEA has also increased the total number of game providers from two to seven, with LadyLucks.co.uk now featuring more than 80 games from the likes of IGT, NetEnt and Microgaming. Tomic said: “This is a bold move from ALEA, and forms part of our battle plans for the UK market; now that we have a licence from the Gambling Commission, we want to significantly grow our presence in the country.” iGB Affiliate Issue 65 OCT/NOV 2017 7