iGB AFFILIATE LONDON 2024 • ISSUE 94 • 103
“[ For affiliates ] the attraction of being able to shout about large bonuses and exciting promos is part and parcel of what many companies are doing ” tempered . Hopes of substantial bonuses and awesome promos were not delivered , even with American football dominating the airwaves .
Instead , it felt as though there was less hype and excitement around what the sportsbooks were offering new and existing customers alike .
So , for any new affiliate launching stateside in 2023 , be prepared . In my last article , I wrote about semper paratus – meaning “ always prepared ” or “ always ready ” – well , here are my takeaways for your state of readiness .
You are up against some very professional listed outfits and the glory days of sportsbooks being overly generous with signup offers are over . If you try to replicate the playbook of a major successful affiliate , you have to be prepared for an uphill battle . You must be truly differentiated !
Without being so , you will struggle to break out from an increasingly crowded landscape . If you don ’ t build a genuine destination for bettors , then it ’ s odds-on that you will soon shut up shop .
Some of the industry old guards would privately acknowledge that they had it easy five or so years ago . They are now maintaining their momentum well and thus are making it tough for any new affiliate to outperform dramatically when launching from a standing start .
It makes for fascinating viewing from both inside and outside the industry !
GIVE IT A CRACK
To conclude , my advice to anybody looking to start a US-focused sports betting affiliate in 2023 or later would be simple : if you are product-led and have something of genuine intrinsic value to an American bettor , then give it a crack .
There will be other factors which will make your life difficult that I have touched on in previous articles and that I will no doubt mention again in upcoming ones . They are navigable , yet onerous .
With hard work and a smattering of luck , the DNA of such a “ destination ” business makes it possible to scale and succeed in this market .
However , if you simply look at the behemoths and think you can replicate their playbook , then think again . Save your cash and launch a business in a different industry instead !
WILL ARMITAGE spent 12 years working for IG Group ( IGG . L ), the world ’ s leading spread betting company . He started on the dealing desk before moving into management where he ended up as head of Europe . After leaving IG , he worked for a US wine startup , Lot18 , in which he was an investor . Since then , he has been an active angel investor , mentor and entrepreneur . Will cofounded his latest start up , BestOdds , in January 2021 , with the website going live in August 2022 .