Part 1: Affiliates and the pendulum-swing against igaming marketing
Part 1: Affiliates and the
pendulum-swing against
igaming marketing
The affiliate marketing
sector is under pressure
from the latest moves in
Italy, Spain, Belgium, the
UK and Sweden. This has
important implications
for the future of not
only affiliates but also
operators and could be
the defining factor in the
continued relationship
between the two
Affiliates in the regulatory
spotlight
As much as with their own
customers – the world’s online
gambling operators – online
gambling-focused affiliates are
increasingly under the regulatory
spotlight in the UK as well as across
various other jurisdictions including
the newly regulated Swedish market,
Denmark, Italy (where an outright
ban on all forms of gambling
marketing will come into force in
2019), Spain and Belgium.
None of this should be surprising.
The pressure being exerted on
operators with regard to the
marketing of gambling across
Europe – nowhere more so than
in the UK – is forcing operators to
fundamentally reconsider how they
go about their activities.
This includes their affiliate
relationships; hence decisions such
as that of Sky Bet in September 2017
to end its own affiliate programme
while 888 and GVC’s Ladbrokes
have also indicated a scaling back of
their activities in the area. Further,
in September 2017 it was reported
that Paddy Power Betfair had sent
a letter to its affiliates warning of a
‘one-strike-and-you’re-out’ rule over
future rules violations.
All this is taking place in the
context of an increasing groundswell
of criticism from consumers, as
much as from politicians and
legislators, of the marketing of
gambling in an increasing number
of regulated markets. Spain,
Belgium and Denmark are the
latest to instigate crackdowns on
the advertising of gambling in
general, while as mentioned Italy
will next year institute a complete
ban at some point on all gambling
marketing (a development fraught
with issues for affiliates).
The pressure being exerted by
the UK (see below for the rundown
Affiliates need to be
acting as if they were
licensed themselves
John Hagan, Harris Hagan
Under pressure: Regulation and the evolution of affiliate marketing
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