INSIGHT

EYES ON THE PRIZE

Igaming affiliate marketing has changed enormously over the past 20 years . But now the recent tightening of regulatory controls in the UK , coupled with the opening up of new markets in a post-PASPA US , is set to transform things further . And , says Erica Anderson , for those affiliates courageous enough to alter their marketing approach , the opportunities are huge

THE OLD LATIN PROVERB “ fortune favours the bold ” should be words for affiliates to live by in the brave new world of igaming affiliate marketing . The US Supreme Court ’ s recent repeal of the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act ( PASPA ) has concluded a momentous 12 months that have featured the launch of the first American state lottery affiliate program and the arrival of new Pennsylvanian iGaming and iLottery regulation , as well as the UK market ’ s focus on regulatory compliance .

These developments have changed the nature of affiliate marketing in the online gambling space . From developing more transparent partnerships with UK operators to globalising their strategies to benefit from the diverse opportunities offered by the US market , affiliates bold enough to move with the times will own the future .

TRANSPARENCY IN THE UK It has been a year since the UK Advertising Standards Authority ( ASA )’ s landmark July 2017 update , which emphasised operators ’ responsibility for their affiliates ’ marketing practices . The ASA subsequently censured various brands for the underhand tactics of a minority of their partners . While very few operators followed Sky Bet ’ s lead and closed their affiliate programmes , the majority made responsible and transparent affiliate marketing a core and ongoing focus .

When operators risk incurring significant fines from one ‘ rogue ’ affiliate , it ’ s understandable that they should respond by introducing compliance teams and tightening their affiliate programmes ’ terms and conditions . Their overall approach now focuses on transparency : who exactly is the affiliate we ’ re partnering with , and how exactly will they promote our brand ( site URLs , social media handles , media buy networks )?

In 2018 , affiliates have to be fully transparent about their identities and businesses , proving their reputability and solvency . It is becoming standard for affiliates to provide UK-facing sportsbooks and casinos with national IDs that have been certified by a notary as well as certificates of incorporation and good standing before being approved to join a programme .

Once operators have vetted affiliates ’ backgrounds , their programme ’ s T & Cs will request they are fully transparent about how they promote the brand , with the operator commonly approving all new affiliate approaches . It ’ s vital that affiliates are openly declaring their promotional channels . Operators are frequently using third-party software like Rightlander to verify where exactly their banners and links are appearing . Inaccurate disclosure can see affiliates suspended from a programme .

Of course , this signals a sea change in igaming affiliate marketing as it nears its second decade . Gone are the days when affiliates could register for a programme with pseudonymous email and Skype accounts . The luxury of anonymity is no longer possible for affiliates – unless , that is , they want to sacrifice the luxury of revenue . Of course , there ’ s a danger that the new registration requirements will deter affiliates from registering for a programme .

In fact , affiliates should consider the new world of compliance as a window of opportunity . In relatively saturated markets like the UK , honest and transparent affiliates are being given a competitive advantage in the battle for traffic . It ’ s also likely that operators and regulators in continental Europe and elsewhere will increasingly model their approach to affiliate marketing on the channel ’ s British heartland .

FROM PENNSYLVANIAN iGAMING TO iLOTTERY Of course , the UK is by no means the first igaming market to place significant control on affiliates . In 2013 , when New Jersey regulated its online casino and poker market , the state ’ s Division of Gaming Enforcement ( DGE ) opened its arms to affiliates – so long as they applied for a licence . Affiliates promoting brands on a CPA or flat-fee basis applied for free vendor registration , while those working with brands on revenue share are required to obtain an Ancillary CSIE License at a cost of $ 2,000 .

Those affiliates savvy enough to think beyond these minor bureaucratic hurdles placed themselves in a strong position as the market grew . And grow it certainly has , with the DGE reporting record monthly revenue of $ 25.6 million in March . Forward-thinking affiliates who have promoted New Jersey brands are now well placed to profit from Pennsylvania ’ s regulation of igaming last October .

ERICA ANDERSON is marketing director , Paysafe ’ s Income Access . Her role focuses on developing the marketing strategy for the Income Access brand . Holding a decade ’ s industry experience , she also oversees the company ’ s in-house affiliate management team and its suite of digital marketing services . Income Access manages close to 20 affiliate programmes , including Caesars Interactive Entertainment .

42 iGB Affiliate Issue 69 JUN / JUL 2018

IN SI GHT EYE S O N T H E PR I Z E Igaming affiliate marketing has changed enormously over the past 20 years. But now the recent tightening of regulatory controls in the UK, coupled with the opening up of new markets in a post-PASPA US, is set to transform things further. And, says Erica Anderson, for those affiliates courageous enough to alter their marketing approach, the opportunities are huge THE OLD LATIN PROVERB “fortune favours the bold” should be words for affiliates to live by in the brave new world of igaming affiliate marketing. The US Supreme Court’s recent repeal of the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) has concluded a momentous 12 months that have featured the launch of the first American state lottery affiliate program and the arrival of new Pennsylvanian iGaming and iLottery regulation, as well as the UK market’s focus on regulatory compliance. These developments have changed the nature of affiliate marketing in the online gambling space. From developing more transparent partnerships with UK operators to globalising their strategies to benefit from the diverse opportunities offered by the US market, affiliates bold enough to move with the times will own the future. TRANSPARENCY IN THE UK It has been a year since the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)’s landmark July 2017 update, which emphasised operators’ responsibility for their affiliates’ marketing practices. The ASA subsequently censured various brands for the underhand tactics of a minority of their partners. While very few operators followed Sky Bet’s lead and closed their affiliate programmes, the majority made responsible and transparent affiliate marketing a core and ongoing focus. When operators risk incurring significant fines from one ‘rogue’ affiliate, it’s understandable that they should respond by introducing compliance teams and tightening their affiliate programmes’ terms and conditions. Their overall approach now focuses on transparency: who exactly is the affiliate we’re partnering with, and how exactly will they promote our brand (site URLs, social media handles, media buy networks)? In 2018, affiliates have to be fully transparent about their identities and businesses, proving their reputability and solvency. It is becoming standard for affiliates to provide UK-facing sportsbooks and casinos with national IDs that have been certified by a notary as well as certificates of incorporation and good standing before being approved to join a programme. Once operators have vetted affiliates’ backgrounds, their programme’s T&Cs will request they are fully transparent about how they promote the brand, with the operator commonly approving all new affiliate approaches. It’s vital that affiliates are openly declaring their promotional channels. Operators are frequently using third-party software like Rightlander to verify where exactly their banners and links are appearing. Inaccurate disclosure can see affiliates suspended from a programme. Of course, this signals a sea change in igaming affiliate marketing as it nears its second decade. Gone are the days when affiliates could register for a programme with pseudonymous email and Skype accounts. The luxury of anonymity is no longer possible for affiliates – unless, that is, they want to sacrifice the luxury of revenue. Of course, there’s a danger that the new registration requirements will deter affiliates from registering for a programme. In fact, affiliates should consider the new world of compliance as a window of opportunity. In relatively saturated markets like the UK, honest and transparent affiliates are being given a competitive advantage in the battle for traffic. It’s also likely that operators ��ɕ�ձ�ѽ�́��ѥ��х��ɽ��)��͕ݡ�ɔ�ݥ��ɕ�ͥ��䁵��ѡ��ȁ��ɽ��Ѽ��є)��ɭ�ѥ��ѡ��é ɥѥ͠��ѱ��)I=4�A99Me1Y9%8��5%9�Q<��1=QQId)=��͔��ѡ��U,��́�䁹��́ѡ��Ё��ɭ��)Ѽ��ͥ��Ё��ɽ��ѕ̸�%��̰�ݡ��)9�܁)��͕�ɕ�ձ�ѕ��́��ͥ��ȁ��ɭ�а)ѡ��хї�é�٥ͥ��ɍ��Ѐ��)��́�ɵ́Ѽ��ѕ̃�L�ͼ��́ѡ�䁅��ȁ��)��ѕ́�ɽ��ѥ��Ʌ��́�� A��ȁ��е��ͥ́��)�ɕ��ٕ��ȁɕ��Ʌѥ��ݡ��ѡ�͔�ݽɭ��ݥѠ��Ʌ��)��ɕٕ�Ք�͡�ɔ��ɔ�ɕ�եɕ��Ѽ��х�� M%)1��͔��Ё��Ё��Ȱ��)Q��͔��ѕ́ͅ��䁕��՝��Ѽ�ѡ��役��ѡ�͔��)��ɕ�ՍɅѥ��ɑ��́��ѡ��͕�ٕ́��ɽ��ͥѥ��)ѡ��ɭ�Ё�ɕܸ��ɽ܁�Ё��х��䁡�̰�ݥѠ�ѡ��)ɕ��ѥ��ɕ��ɐ��ѡ��ɕٕ�Ք��Ը؁��5�ɍ��)��݅ɐ�ѡ��ѕ́ݡ��ٔ��ɽ��ѕ��9�܁)��͕�)�Ʌ��́�ɔ��܁ݕ��Ѽ��ɽ��Ё�ɽ��A��م��e�)ɕ�ձ�ѥ��Ё=�ѽ��ȸ)I% �9IM=8��́��ɭ�ѥ��ɕ�ѽȰ�A��ͅ��é%��̸�!�ȁɽ��͕́��ٕ��)ѡ��ɭ�ѥ��Ʌѕ�䁙�ȁѡ��%��́�Ʌ��!��é��䁕��ɥ��͡��ͼ)�ٕ�͕�́ѡ��é��͔��є��Ёѕ��́�եє��х��ɭ�ѥ��͕�٥��̸)%��́��́��͔�Ѽ��є��ɽ�Ʌ��̰��Ց�� ͅ�́%�ѕɅ�ѥٔ��ѕ�х��и(��)��є�%��Ք��)U8�)U0��

iGB Affiliate 69 June/July | Page 46

EYES ON THE PRIZE