Executive Summary
Editor’s letter Executive summary
The findings of the second annual iGB Affiliate Survey reaffirm some
important constants in the day-to-day working lives of affiliates,
from regulation to the importance of trust, clear communication and
transparency in dealings with affiliate programmes.
The 2018 edition also finds the businesses of those affiliates
surveyed in rude health, with the mean monthly amount generated up
28% year-on-year to $150k (albeit skewed by the 14% earning more
than $400k) with commissions on the rise and these having increased
by 42% compared to 37% in the 2017 survey.
We also see affiliates adapting to changes in areas such as
martech, with marketing platforms/automation identified alongside
the opening of the US market as the industry trend and development
affiliates identify as becoming increasingly important to their business.
The trends and developments they identify as already impacting
their day-to-day businesses reflect the headline developments in the
core UK market (69% targeting this territory), with programme closures,
ad compliance and increased liability this year figuring alongside
regulation.
Indeed, while respondents remain bullish about the outlook for the
wider gambling industry, there has been a marked erosion in confidence
regarding that for the igaming affiliate space, from the perspective of
those surveyed on both the affiliate and affiliate programme sides.
Beyond the headline stats, the survey results also include a depth
of detail and insights about the igaming affiliate space not available
anywhere else. Did you know, for instance, that 50% of affiliates still
don’t read the T&Cs before signing up to a programme?
Anyway, we will leave you now to trawl through these to find the
snippets that are most useful to your work.
We hope you find the contents informative and as we soon embark
on putting the next questionnaire together, please don’t hesitate to get
in touch with your feedback at [email protected] Verticals
On average affiliates active in three verticals with casino and sports betting still core sectors operated within
Location
Key regions targeted remain Western Europe and the UK specifically, followed by Germany and Sweden
Revenues
Mean average of 46% of revenue generated by iGaming, with average mean revenue per month up 28% to
$148,003
Other sectors
Approximately 1 in 2 continue to affiliate outside of igaming; finance remains key other sector operated within
Affiliate programmes
Brand strength/reliability and tracking reliability still key attributes when assessing affiliate programs with payment
terms/frequency growing in importance
Marketing strategy
SEO still most effective way to generate traffic, Facebook and YouTube most effective social media tools
Preferences
45% prefer working with independent affiliate networks with ROI/higher commissions, (ease of) communication,
and personalised deals given as key reasons
Industry outlook
Affiliates remain broadly confident about the gambling industry but confidence in affiliate industry down year-on-year
• Expansion into new/emerging markets, opportunities from mobile gaming and regulatory changes seen as
key opportunities for next five years
• Regulation, competition and industry reputation now main challenges/threats
• Over one-third of affiliates continue to be interested in becoming an operator with 11% currently going
through the process
Stephen Carter, Editorial Director, iGaming Business
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iGB Affiliate Survey • July 2018