Affiliate Industry
Affiliates in the US Sports Betting Market – Has The Game Gone Cold?
A lot has changed since the US Supreme Court struck down PASPA (The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992) as being unconstitutional, effectively ending Nevada’s near-monopoly on sports betting in the country. With every US state now free to legalize and launch its own sports betting market, in-person, online, and mobile sports betting grew at a neck-breaking pace.
This explosive growth saw the emergence of ‘affiliate companies’ – marketing agencies specializing in performance marketing and promoting licensed sports betting operators. However, as the market entered a new phase and growth slowed, some affiliates have been seeing mixed results in the past year.
We sat down for a chat with Shmulik Segal, Founder and CEO of Media Troopers, an advertising agency specializing in sports betting and iGaming in North America, to hear his views on the gambling marketplace and what the future holds for affiliates. Segal takes a realistic approach and acknowledges the days of insatiable growth are gone, but he still sees great potential in the market.
Looking at the bigger picture, how bad were things for affiliates in the past year?
Segal: “I won’t tell you the past year hasn’t been challenging for marketing agencies like ourselves. Looking at 2024 earning reports of publicly traded marketing agencies in the gambling industry, the results are a mixed bag, Segal says. “While some of the largest players in the space saw their US revenues drop by over a third compared to 2023, the earnings of others just flatlined.”
What causes you to be optimistic then?
“But on the flip side of the coin, there were also companies that saw double-digit growth in earnings,” Segal compares. “So what does that mixed bag of results tell us? Although the days of explosive growth are over, the market is certainly not on a one-way street. I still see tons of opportunities for companies that are adjusting and doing the right things.”
So what are the main challenges the affiliate market is facing?
“I can divide the challenges into two main categories: objective and subjective. Objective categories would be anything that’s ‘man-made’, such as legislation (new states that open up), increased regulation (restrictions on advertising, increased taxation), the evolution of technology (Artificial Intelligence and further mobile personalization), competition (both operators and other marketing channels and companies), and all other factors that are created by governments, companies, and individuals,” he explains.
“The subjective factors are more geographical or permanent. Let’s take sports betting as an example. According to the American Gaming Association’s state tracker, Out of 51 potential jurisdictions across the country (50 states + Washington DC), 38 have legalized sports betting. However, only seven states have legalized iGaming.”
So, how do you treat these challenges differently?
“As an affiliate, you understand the fundamental difference between the two types of challenges: your level of control. While you can mitigate objective challenges, you must adapt to subjective ones.”
How do you stay relevant as an affiliate amidst these challenges?
“The first thing we must always keep in mind is that we make a living out of providing our customers with additional value, i.e. unique knowledge and expertise that the operator doesn’t have and fits perfectly into its marketing mix. We must provide our customers with a competitive, cutting edge.”
“Case in point: we constantly strive to be ahead of the curve in everything we do. Our technology platform constantly adapts and upgrades to include more powerful AI tools for segmentation, targeting, and personalization. A huge part of our media teams’ job is to look for the ‘next big thing’ be it a fresh marketing channel or a new source that will enable us to expand our reach and tap into new markets.
Our commercial teams work closely with existing and potential operators to find new ways to bring value to players, be it new games, news, or promotions. And it goes without saying that our compliance team takes great care of ensuring we adhere to the highest standards of safe advertising and responsible gaming.”
“But no less important,“ he concludes, “is the operations team that ties all the pieces together and executes everything. That’s one of the biggest challenges, given operations can be slow-moving, we constantly need to improve our execution to keep up with the changes the other parts of the team bring.”
What about other types of challenges? The ones you can’t mitigate?
“When it comes to subjective challenges, however, you have much less control, and this is where companies must brace themselves and adapt quickly. Case in point, there are 38 sports betting states, while a portion of the remaining ones, such as Hawai, Utah, Texas, and California, won’t introduce sports betting or iGaming in the foreseeable future.
With fewer states regulating gaming in the foreseeable future, is the market bound to shrink?
“I don’t see it that way. Long gone are the days when a new market opened every few months. What would you do? You can’t ‘magic up’ more states. But you can certainly adapt and brace yourself to improve and grow your share in existing markets, which is exactly what we are focusing on doing,” he explains. “Along with acquiring new players through new and existing markets, we are constantly looking for new channels that will bring our customers (operators) loyalty and higher lifetime value.”
You are talking about increasing share and value, does that mean there are no new opportunities?
“We see huge potential, with opportunities constantly coming to knock on our door. North Carolina and Vermont were the two new markets that launched in 2024, and we are already seeing a lot of growth there. For example, North Carolina, which only went live with sports betting in March 2024, but by the end of the year, already clinched ninth place in the Top 10 sports betting states, reporting revenues of over $583.
This is why we treat every state as a standalone ecosystem with its unique set of challenges, requirements, and potential. The next exciting challenge (and opportunity) we are preparing for is Missouri, which legalized sports betting at the end of 2024 but has yet to launch. We have already been hard at work since the ballot was approved in November, so we can hit the ground running and start sending our MO sportsbook partners newly depositing customers from day one.
What about organic growth in existing markets?
“There’s certainly that also. While every new state that launches sports betting can potentially bring a spike in growth, we are certainly seeing organic growth and improved results across the board year after year. Take as an example the Super Bowl. In 2025, legal US bets on the Super Bowl grew 10% year-on-year. Or March Madness, on which best are expected to grow 13% from last year.
So, is there still organic growth in existing markets? For us, it’s a big, fat yes.”
Are you planning on staying within the iGaming and sports betting markets in the near future?
“That’s a very good question I ask myself every day, Segal smiles and immediately corrects himself. “Actually, scratch that. I ask myself this question many times over the course of a day in the office.”
He elaborates: “iGaming is tangent to other gaming verticals, and sports betting has an overlap with a whole universe of sports and its related verticals. Every website in these verticals needs traffic, and we know how to provide it. So new opportunities knocking on our door. But how do we capitalize on these without losing our focus and commitment to our core business? We keep our ears and eyes open, but never lose focus.”
The post Affiliates in the US Sports Betting Market – Has The Game Gone Cold? appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Gamblers Connect, a leading and trusted iGaming Medium & Affiliate website for the iGaming sector, is excited to announce its latest strategic partnership with a true pillar of the European gaming industry: IZIGROUP.
Based in Malta, IZIGROUP is one of the most respected and established operators in the iGaming world. Its influence is immense, serving as the exclusive concessionaire for the National Lottery of Malta through their subsidiary, National Lottery plc. They also operate Malta’s most iconic land-based casino, the Dragonara Casino, a name synonymous with quality and heritage since 1964. The group also has a sports and casino betting platform, IZIBET.
But this partnership isn’t just about land-based prestige. IZIGROUP has powerfully translated its decades of experience into the digital realm with a formidable iGaming presence. This includes their flagship online brands, Dragonara Online Casino and IZIBET which are rapidly expanding beyond Malta into international markets.
Gamblers Connect’s mission has always been to act as the essential bridge, connecting its community with the most trusted, innovative, and responsible operators in the industry.
This partnership is a perfect embodiment of that goal. IZIGROUP’s entire operational philosophy is built on the same values: a deep commitment to safe, responsible, and engaging gaming experiences.
With €920 million in total gaming turnover last year and a clear strategy focused on digital innovation, IZIGROUP represents the gold standard of a modern, successful, and ethical gaming operator.
Gamblers Connect is proud to feature IZIGROUP’s brands and to provide users with a direct connection to their world-class portfolio. This collaboration strengthens the network and, more importantly, reinforces a promise to only partner with the best.
Gregory Busuttil, Acquisition & Retention Executive at IZIGROUP, commented: “This feels like a true partnership, not just another campaign — and that’s what sets it apart.”
Gjorgje Ristikj, Founder & CEO at Gamblers Connect, stated: “Our collaboration with IZIGROUP marks an important milestone for Gamblers Connect. Joining forces with a reputable Malta-based brand allows us to combine credibility with reach, delivering stronger exposure, better performance and a more mature presence in the industry. We see this partnership not as a campaign, but as the beginning of a long-term strategic relationship.”
The post IZIGROUP and Gamblers Connect Enter a New Partnership appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Affiliate Industry
Affilka by SOFTSWISS Partners with Voluum for Smarter Affiliate Campaign Tracking
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Affilka by SOFTSWISS has announced a strategic partnership with the Voluum ad tracking and optimisation platform. The integration provides iGaming affiliates and operators with advanced tools to monitor, analyse, and optimise traffic, turning data insights into higher revenue and efficiency.
Affilka’s API integration with Voluum’s advanced click-tracking system enables affiliates to manage traffic more efficiently and gain deeper insights to maximise campaign results. This collaboration unlocks powerful new features that support smarter decision-making:
- Fast and simple setup without postback creation, giving affiliates complete conversion data while eliminating unnecessary complexity and delays.
- Centralised traffic and player activity data in one place within the Voluum panel, making it easier to monitor performance and act on insights.
- Detailed tracking of campaigns and conversion events, enabling accurate ROI measurement and optimisation.
- Clear traffic funnel insights, helping affiliates understand player journeys and refine acquisition strategies by accessing data that was previously available only in Affilka.
- Automated campaign optimisation, reducing manual effort while maximising returns.
Gleb Bichan, Product Lead at Affilka by SOFTSWISS, shares: “Affiliate marketing success starts with data. By integrating Affilka with Voluum, we bring together two powerful platforms to give partners exclusive insights and a unified performance view in one place. This unique data enrichment creates new opportunities for smarter campaign optimisation, stronger decision-making, and ultimately, better business results.”
Operators relying on paid and affiliate traffic also benefit from this partnership with unified dashboards, centralised reporting, and role-based collaboration tools. They can analyse performance metrics such as sign-ups and first-time deposits in real time, gaining clearer insights to refine acquisition strategies.
Kamila Łuksza-Szpyt, Managing Director at Voluum, comments: “In an era of tightening regulation and heightened transparency, the Affilka and Voluum integration revolutionises iGaming acquisition strategies. With centralised player information and no need for individual postbacks, operators can effortlessly optimise their campaigns and focus on what truly matters – acquiring quality players with ease.”
By integrating with Affilka, Voluum performance tracker gives affiliates sharper data and easier collaboration, while equipping operators with the automation and tracking they need to scale efficiently.
About SOFTSWISS
SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 35,000 casino games, Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook Platform and the Jackpot Aggregator. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.
About Voluum
Voluum is an all-in-one ad tracking, optimization, and automation platform that helps iGaming operators and affiliates acquire high-quality players. With over 10 years of experience in performance marketing, Voluum integrates with top traffic sources, affiliate networks, and iGaming operators via s2s postback, pixel, or API. This delivers real-time data insights, simplifies campaign management, and prevents wasted budgets.
The post Affilka by SOFTSWISS Partners with Voluum for Smarter Affiliate Campaign Tracking appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Raketech Group Holding Plc announced an agreement to sell the Casumba assets due to regulatory developments affecting its markets.
The transaction, valued at a fixed consideration of EUR 12 million, will be paid in monthly instalments through December 2029, with no upfront cash payment. Under IFRS 9 accounting standards, the deferred consideration has been measured at the fair value of approximately EUR 7 million at closing. The EUR 5 million difference between the fixed consideration and the fair value reflects an element of ongoing credit risk and the extended payment schedule. Any further adjustments will be recognised through the profit and loss account over the payment period, in accordance with IFRS 9 requirements.
The consideration carries an 8% interest rate and will be paid in variable monthly instalments through December 2029.
The sale supports Raketech’s platform-first strategy, focusing on core markets and sustainable growth in iGaming affiliation. The decision to divest Casumba stems from recent regulatory shifts in its markets. This move aims to remove regulatory risks, and redirect capital to Raketech’s leading iGaming affiliation platform, AffiliationCloud.
The Casumba assets generated annualised revenues of approximately EUR 4.0 million with an EBITDA of EUR 2.9 million, based on the Q2 2025 run rate.
Raketech will record a non-cash loss on disposal of approximately EUR 10 million in Q3 2025. This loss primarily arises from the difference between the book value of the Casumba assets and the IFRS 9 fair value of the consideration. The loss on disposal is a one-off, non-recurring loss and will not impact Raketech’s cash flow or operational performance.
The transaction has been signed and closed on 24 September 2025.
Johan Svensson, CEO of Raketech, said: “This sale marks another step in refining our portfolio and concentrating on our core goal of creating the top commercial platform for iGaming affiliation. By divesting Casumba, we eliminate regulatory exposure and unlock resources for growth opportunities. This transaction reflects our dedication to sustainable shareholder value and financial discipline.”
The post Raketech Announces Divestment of Casumba Assets appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Australia7 days agoTabcorp Appoints Vivian Stewart as Non-executive Director
-
Latest News7 days agoWhale.io Introduces Crock Dentist Game and Exclusive RWA NFT Collection
-
AI customer service7 days ago
Introducing the newest testing tool for AI-boosted customer engagement
-
Arnold Hur6 days ago
Thirteen Leading Universities Partner with Gen.G for its Practicum Abroad Programme to Prepare Students in Seoul for Esports Careers
-
Australia4 days ago
Western Australia: New Casino Carded Play Set to Reduce Gambling Harm
-
Latest News4 days ago
All Roads Lead to the Helicopter — N1 Partners Turns SiGMA Central Europe 2025 into a Pit Stop for Deals
-
Latest News3 days ago
Marketing the Game: How iGaming Brands Win Players and Partners in 2025
-
Australia6 days ago
NSW Government: Play your part this GambleAware Week
