In iGaming, sustainable growth is never accidental. Strong performance, scalability and long-term partnerships are built on structured processes, strategic thinking and the ability to adapt quickly in an ever-changing market.

In the latest edition of N1 Faces, the N1 Partners team speaks with Dmitry Filippov, Affiliate Team Lead (SEO)—a specialist operating at the intersection of strategy, leadership and partner relations. Having evolved from hands-on traffic roles to managing a full affiliate direction, Dmitry is responsible not only for performance metrics, but also for building trust-based, long-term relationships with partners.

Dmitry Filippov

Affiliate Team Lead (SEO), N1 Partners

How did you get into affiliate marketing, and when did you realize this was the field you wanted to grow in?

I first discovered affiliate marketing while I was still at university. I joined as a junior buyer in the nutra vertical and, over time, created what felt like thousands of creatives for “miracle pills”—from potency and joints to blood vessels.

After graduating, I applied to nearly 400 jobs and eventually landed a PR role in the Forex vertical. Even during my probation period, though, I knew I wanted to develop the affiliate direction inside the company.

Affiliate marketing combines everything I truly enjoy: marketing, creativity, speed, people—and, of course, the freedom to travel.

What brought you to N1 Partners, and what was the deciding factor?

At the time, I was exploring new opportunities while working as Head of Affiliate at a gambling affiliate network. From the first conversations, N1 Partners felt like love at first sight.

What really stood out was the mindset and communication style of our Head of Affiliates, Alexa Bond. After those initial discussions, I knew this was the place I wanted to be—and I haven’t regretted the decision for a second.

I’m grateful for every team I’ve worked with, but this one is on a completely different level.

As a Team Lead, what’s harder: scaling performance or scaling the team?

In reality, they go hand in hand. As the team grows, performance grows with it.

What matters most to me is that people develop both vertically and horizontally—expanding their skills, responsibility and confidence. The market is full of strong talent, and new team members often bring fresh ideas and valuable experience.

Both challenges are demanding, but also exciting—especially with a strong product foundation. Our brand portfolio and GEO coverage continue to expand, which gives affiliate managers powerful tools to succeed.

How do you support the growth of managers within your team?

I pay close attention to soft skills, starting from the interview stage. Energy, initiative and the ability to absorb information quickly are critical in the early months.

The onboarding phase is especially important. Motivation and adaptation go hand in hand—without a solid foundation, strong results simply won’t follow. That’s why I invest heavily in structured onboarding and early-stage support.

How do you give tough feedback while maintaining motivation?

Objectivity is key.

I give tough feedback regularly, but always in a constructive and friendly way. In most cases, it acts as motivation rather than pressure.

Mistakes are part of the job—only people who do nothing never make them. What matters is how someone reacts and improves. A leader’s role is to guide without killing initiative or the desire to grow.

How do you stay balanced during high-pressure periods?

Travel and sports.

I played football for 10 years before an injury forced me to stop. Now I occasionally compete in amateur mixed martial arts and play padel in my free time.

As for travel—it’s an addiction. I plan my next trip while I’m still on the current one. Without something on the calendar, the world feels about 10% less bright.

If you weren’t in iGaming…

To be continued.

But realistically, I’d still be close to this world—either in a related industry or in marketing. I thrive in fast-paced environments where things evolve constantly and every month brings new challenges.

Top-3 Blitz

Which skills will increase the value of an affiliate manager the most in the coming years?

• Speaking multiple languages

• Using AI as a practical working tool

• Strong analytical and numbers-driven thinking

What should affiliates consider when choosing an affiliate program?

• Public communication and media presence

• Product quality and GEO performance

• The team behind the brand—strong people matter

Which trends will shape iGaming in 2026?

• AI as a powerful assistant, not a replacement

• Growing importance of smaller, flexible GEOs

• Continued market consolidation and holding structures

Join N1 Partners

Affiliates interested in launching new campaigns, testing offers or discussing tailored terms can reach out to Dmitry Filippov directly.

N1 Partners provides everything affiliates need to stay competitive: high-converting products, data-driven analytics with optimization insights, and hands-on support focused on long-term performance.

As a multi-brand affiliate platform and direct advertiser, N1 Partners unites 14+ casino and betting brands, operates across Tier-1 GEOs, delivers Reg2Dep rates of up to 70%, and offers competitive deals including CPA up to €700 and RevShare up to 45%. Trusted by 14,000+ partners, N1 Partners is known for transparency, flexibility and a partner-first approach—where strong communication remains the foundation of sustainable success.

The post N1 Faces: Dmitry Filippov — What’s Behind Sustainable Growth in Affiliate Marketing? appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

A new collaboration links OneAPI with TrueLabel’s operator network via a unified aggregation.

Zenith, Asia’s top iGaming platform provider and a prominent B2B ecosystem facilitator, has formed a new alliance with TrueLabel, incorporating its renowned game aggregator, OneAPI, to enhance efficient content aggregation across various markets.

The agreement will enable TrueLabel to obtain direct access to Zenith’s OneAPI, granting a wide, curated selection of casino content via a single integration. This collaboration facilitates effective content distribution and minimizes operational complexity for users of the platform.

With OneAPI, TrueLabel leverages Zenith’s robust aggregation infrastructure, enabling rapid content deployment, efficient scaling, and assisting operators in flexible portfolio management as they penetrate or grow in regulated and emerging markets.

Through OneAPI, TrueLabel will also access Zenith’s localized support structure and technical implementation model, guaranteeing content that meets market-specific standards.

As OneAPI drives Zenith’s worldwide aggregation strategy, the platform strengthens Zenith’s role as a reliable partner for operators looking for scalable content distribution and attractive commercial conditions.

Vitaliy Smoliarenko, Business Development Manager at Zenith, said: “Working with TrueLabel is a strong addition to our growing network of platform partners. OneAPI is built to simplify aggregation without compromising on flexibility and this integration shows how operators and platforms can move faster while staying in control of their content strategy.”

Alexandra, Head of Games management at TrueLabel, added: “This integration with Zenith marks another step in strengthening our platform ecosystem. By expanding our aggregation capabilities, we continue to give our partners greater flexibility, scalability, and confidence as they grow their operations.”

The post Zenith Connects OneAPI to TrueLabel to Scale International Content Distribution appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

PropellerAds, one of the world’s leading multi-source performance advertising platforms, has released new insights and forecasts ahead of Chinese New Year 2026, highlighting the period as a major peak for mobile traffic, eCommerce spending and entertainment-driven campaigns.

As Chinese New Year approaches, consumers across Asia—and in global regions with large Chinese communities—are preparing for one of the most significant cultural and shopping periods of the year. For eCommerce advertisers, the holiday represents not only a surge in seasonal demand but also a valuable opportunity to capture high-intent users, accelerate short-term sales and build long-term customer relationships.

Backed by real-time data and advanced targeting capabilities, PropellerAds enables advertisers to capitalize on this annual traffic spike with performance-focused campaign strategies tailored to holiday-driven consumer behavior.

Understanding Consumer Behavior During Chinese New Year

Online engagement rises sharply during the Chinese New Year period. In China, average daily internet usage approaches seven hours, creating multiple touchpoints for digital advertising. Similar patterns are observed across Southeast Asia—including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam—as well as Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

Beyond Asia, increased eCommerce activity is also seen in markets such as Australia, Canada, the United States and parts of the EU, driven by holiday interest and large overseas Chinese communities in cities like Sydney, San Francisco, London and Vancouver.

High-performing eCommerce categories during this period typically include food and beverages, snacks, kitchenware, health supplements, electronics and apparel, all of which consistently deliver strong conversion rates across both direct-to-consumer and affiliate models.

Optimized Campaigns and Targeted Offers

Successful Chinese New Year campaigns start with a clear product focus and precise audience targeting. Advertisers are encouraged to prioritize a single high-demand product or limited-time holiday offer, supported by Chinese New Year-themed creatives that resonate culturally and emotionally with users.

CPA-based campaigns on leading platforms such as Shopee, Lazada, Zalora and Pomelo Fashion benefit from pre-built landing pages that streamline the path to purchase. PropellerAds supports these campaigns with a wide range of scalable ad formats, including Popunder, Push, In-Page Push, Interstitial, Telegram Mini App Ads and Survey Exit Ads.

Advanced targeting and retargeting options allow advertisers to reach high-intent users, while personalization based on geography, browsing behavior and holiday interests helps improve click-through rates, average order value and overall ROI.

Landing Page Experience and Conversion Optimization

During peak shopping periods, conversion efficiency is critical. High-performing landing pages clearly present pricing, key benefits and product details, supported by high-quality visuals or short-form video content.

Checkout flows should be optimized for speed and simplicity, offering guest checkout, mobile payment options such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, and full price transparency to reduce cart abandonment. Automated email workflows—including welcome sequences, abandoned cart reminders, post-purchase follow-ups and re-engagement campaigns—play a key role in driving repeat purchases and improving retention.

Data-Driven Growth and Post-Holiday Planning

Performance during Chinese New Year relies on continuous monitoring and optimization across the funnel. Key metrics include:

• Acquisition stage: Customer acquisition cost (CAC), return on ad spend (ROAS)

• On-site experience: Conversion rate, average order value (AOV), bounce rate, checkout completion rate

• Retention stage: Repeat purchase rate, customer lifetime value (LTV), repurchase cycle

The holiday traffic surge also gives advertisers a chance to test new products, refine creatives and expand into Asian markets with lower long-term risk.

Looking Beyond the Festive Season

PropellerAds continues to strengthen its focus on China and the broader Asian region beyond Chinese New Year. The platform is streamlining integrations with tracking and analytics systems, simplifying campaign setup and management for advertisers and partners. At the same time, PropellerAds is developing new, eCommerce-specific tools designed to improve targeting precision and performance outcomes.

To support ongoing market expansion and industry collaboration, PropellerAds will participate in several major offline events throughout 2026, including AW Forum in Dubai, Global Game Connect 2026 in Sri Lanka (hosted by Huidu), SIGMA Asia in the Philippines, GTC 2026 China in Shenzhen, ChinaJoy in Shanghai, and GTC China in Shanghai.

Through data-driven solutions, scalable ad formats and active engagement across Asia, PropellerAds is positioning advertisers to maximize Chinese New Year performance—and sustain growth long after the holiday ends.

The post eCommerce Sales Surge During Chinese New Year 2026: How PropellerAds Helps Advertisers Maximize Performance appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.