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Casino Guru’s complaint data reveals scope of UK players gambling at unlicensed websites
The Gambling Commission’s recent calls for evidence and views from the industry and the public regarding upcoming changes to Great Britain’s gambling regulation has seen a number of professionals emphasize the potential rise of black-market gambling as a consequence of tightening regulations.
These claims have been largely backed up by a PwC report, which estimates the number of UK online gamblers using unlicensed operators to have more than doubled from 2018 to 2020, from c.210,000 to c.460,000 gamblers.
Later on, UK gambling firms have been accused of exaggerating the scale of black-market gambling in an attempt to influence the GC’s decision to introduce tougher regulations. The GC’s chief executive Neil McArthur commented that the report delivered by PwC is not consistent with their intelligence picture and lacked any evidence to show an increase in illicit betting. He added that GC’s own evidence suggests that the impact may be being exaggerated.
Simon Vincze, Casino Guru’s Responsible Gambling Projects Manager, has been keeping up with the heated discussion taking place in British media and looked into their data on player complaints to get an idea about the scope of the issue: “I understand the need for regulation in the gambling market and its usefulness in keeping children and vulnerable players safe. It’s something I deeply believe in and work towards in my position as well. However, it didn’t seem right to me to just disregard the negative effects of tightening regulations altogether.”
Casino Guru operates a casino dispute mediation service, in which players can complain about any online casino if they feel to have been mistreated, regardless of its license, and get assisted for free. After looking into their data, Simon discovered 666 complaints submitted by players from the UK, of which 145 is about casinos with a license from GC and 521 is about casinos without it. This means that 78% of all complaints submitted by UK players have been about operators without a GC license.
“Of course, this doesn’t mean that 78% of UK players gamble at foreign websites. Because of the generally lower quality of service and reputation of these operators, it can be expected that these players will run into issues more often, resulting in a higher proportion of players submitting public complaints. However, it is also a clear sign that there are UK players gambling at casinos without a GC license, and that there is quite a lot of them,” Simon commented on this data.
He also compared the British situation to what has happened in Sweden: “When gambling regulations get more restrictive, an increased proportion of players usually start looking for unlicensed operators to avoid those regulations. Sweden is a great example of this, where 40% of casino players and 34% of sports betters gamble on unlicensed websites or would consider doing so in future, according to a study published back in April 2020. Taking a look at Google search data, there has been a major increase in Swedish players actively looking for unlicensed casinos since introducing the country’s gambling regulations with a strong focus on player safety.”
“With tighter regulations being introduced in Great Britain, the GC should be aware of the possibility of an increasing number of British punters actively looking for unlicensed sites in attempts to avoid the strict regulations. These players then gamble on foreign websites without the strict limits present at UK-licensed ones, ending up more susceptible to problematic gambling habits as a result of lower responsible gambling standards of some foreign operators, on top of other negative qualities that can be present at these websites.”
Data from the PwC report suggests that 4,5% of UK players gamble at foreign websites, while 78% of all complaints submitted to Casino Guru by UK players are related to these foreign websites.
Simon commented: “Combining this data would suggest that 4,5% of players are responsible for 78% of all casino complaints, which would signify a huge imbalance. Of course, the numbers are based on different data and there may be other factors in play, but I think that the imbalance is there, and has to do with the fact that players gambling on foreign websites simply run into issues more often. These can range from unclear bonus terms and bad implementation of responsible gambling features all the way to unscrupulous casinos outright scamming players.”
“If an increasing number of players leave the regulated market and go for foreign alternatives, they may be subject to a higher risk of developing problem gambling and losing money to foreign websites, some of which can have unscrupulous tendencies. This seems like a good enough reason to seriously consider the risk of rising use of black-market gambling websites by UK players,” he added.
While the GC is examining evidence presented by stakeholders and working towards updated gambling regulation, it remains to be seen how the situation ends up being handled and what new rules get implemented. Only time will tell whether tighter regulation really does increase the use of black-market sites or not, and whether the benefits will outweigh possible drawbacks.
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February presents one of the strongest seasonal windows for affiliates working with Tier-1 sports traffic — and N1 Partners is expanding the opportunities even further.
The affiliate program has strengthened its sports offering by making betting available across three brands: the flagship N1 Bet, alongside RollXO and Lucky Hunter. This multi-brand setup allows partners to scale sports traffic strategically while leveraging casino brands with proven conversion performance.
Instead of relying on a single product, affiliates can now diversify traffic flows, stabilize KPIs, and combine sports, casino, and seasonal promotional mechanics for stronger long-term results.
Why February Is a Prime Month for Sports Traffic
Conversion stability often depends on timing. Campaigns aligned with seasonal peaks, major sporting events, and emotionally engaging dates consistently outperform generic traffic launches.
February stands out due to:
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A packed schedule of top European football leagues and international tournaments
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The Winter Olympic Games
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Valentine’s Day seasonal campaigns
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Increased emotional engagement and deposit intent
During high-profile events and holiday periods, users are more likely to deposit, participate in promotions, and return to the platform. The right contextual hook can directly influence conversion rate, average deposit size, and retention.
To help affiliates capitalize on this momentum, N1 Partners has prepared a focused list of key February sports events and active promotional mechanics.
Key Sports Events in February 2026
11 February
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Coppa Italia Quarter-final: Bologna vs Lazio
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Olympic Ice Hockey: Slovakia vs Finland
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Premier League: Manchester City vs Fulham
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DFB Pokal Quarter-final: Bayern Munich vs RB Leipzig
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NBA: Houston Rockets vs LA Clippers
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Copa Libertadores Qualification Quarter-finals (2nd legs)
12 February
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Olympic Ice Hockey: Czech Republic vs Canada
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Premier League: Brentford vs Arsenal
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NBA: Orlando Magic vs Milwaukee Bucks
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EuroLeague Regular Season (Round 28)
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Rugby Super League (England & France)
13 February
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Olympic Ice Hockey: Canada vs Switzerland
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NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder vs Milwaukee Bucks
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German Handball Bundesliga
14 February (Valentine’s Day Peak)
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Olympic Ice Hockey: USA vs Denmark
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FA Cup Round of 16
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Bundesliga: Werder Bremen vs Bayern Munich
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France Top 14 Rugby
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Liga ASOBAL (Spain)
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Liga ACB (Spain)
15 February
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Olympic Ice Hockey: Switzerland vs Czech Republic
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Serie A: Inter vs Juventus
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Serie A: Napoli vs Roma
-
Serie A: Lazio vs Atalanta
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LaLiga: Girona vs Barcelona
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LaLiga: Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad
-
Ligue 1: Marseille vs Strasbourg
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Ligue 1: Rennes vs PSG
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NBA All-Star
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WTA 1000 Dubai – Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
This density of premium events creates multiple testing angles for creatives, pre-landers, and geo-targeted funnels.
Valentine’s Day Promotions Across N1 Partners Brands
To enhance conversion rates during peak emotional engagement, N1 Partners is launching seasonal campaigns across key brands.
Valentine’s Advent Calendar (N1 Bet & RollXO)
Period: 13–17 February
Five days of engagement mechanics:
-
13.02 – Love Box: prize up to €15,000
-
14.02 – Valentine’s Riddle Offer: 100% bonus up to €500 + 150 FS
-
15.02 – Sunday Challenge: 50% bonus on the 3rd deposit
-
16.02 – Road to Free Spins: 30 FS for every €350
-
17.02 – Fortune Lottery Series: €63,000 prize pool
Cupid Mailbox Lottery (Lucky Hunter)
Period: 9–14 February
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28 winners
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Grand prizes include a trip to Paris
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€6,400 + 1,400 Free Spins prize pool
These mechanics integrate smoothly into sports-driven funnels and allow affiliates to increase average deposit value and session frequency.
Why This Strategy Works for Tier-1 Affiliates
Seasonal and event-driven campaigns help partners:
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Increase average deposit size
-
Improve LTV through repeat engagement
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Offset typical mid-quarter CR slowdowns
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Enhance emotional appeal through contextual offers
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Diversify revenue streams across sports and casino
In competitive Tier-1 markets, product-driven campaigns and structured promotions help stabilize performance and make scaling more predictable.
What Affiliates Should Do Now
February combines major football clashes, Olympic hype, NBA spotlight events, and Valentine’s promotions into one high-conversion window.
Now is the time to:
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Drive sports traffic to top European leagues and Olympic matchups
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Integrate Valentine’s promotions into creatives
-
Split-test traffic between N1 Bet, RollXO, and Lucky Hunter
-
Use seasonal hooks to strengthen CTR and deposit intent
The N1 Partners team provides updated promotional materials, analytics support, and personalized optimization guidance tailored to traffic volumes.
About N1 Partners
N1 Partners is a multi-brand affiliate platform and direct advertiser uniting 14+ casino and betting brands across Tier-1 GEOs.
Key highlights:
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Reg2Dep rates up to 70%
-
CPA up to €700
-
RevShare up to 45%
-
14,000+ active partners
-
Dedicated affiliate management and long-term performance focus
More than just an affiliate program, N1 Partners delivers a performance-driven ecosystem designed to help affiliates scale sustainably in competitive markets.
The post Top Sports Events & Promos by N1 Partners: Where to Drive Tier-1 Traffic in February appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
N1 Partners expands its sports traffic capabilities. Betting is now available across three brands within the affiliate program’s portfolio: alongside the flagship sports product N1 Bet, RollXO and Lucky Hunter have joined the lineup.
For partners, this opens up new opportunities to work with Tier-1 sports traffic. You can scale volumes on a dedicated betting product while simultaneously running sports traffic on casino brands with already strong conversion rates. This approach allows affiliates to diversify traffic flows, reduce reliance on a single product, and strengthen key performance metrics by combining sports, casino, and seasonal promotional mechanics.
Why Seasonal Events Matter When Driving Traffic
In practice, the most consistent conversion results are achieved when traffic launches are aligned with seasonality, key news hooks, and behavioral peaks in player activity.
February offers a particularly strong combination of factors:
- a packed schedule of top football leagues and tournaments
- the Winter Olympic Games
- seasonal holidays, including Valentine’s Day
- increased emotional engagement from players
During such periods, users are more likely to make deposit decisions, engage with promotions, and return to the product. Timing and the right contextual hook have a direct impact on overall performance.
To simplify campaign planning and help partners make the most of this period, the N1 Partners team has prepared a selection of key sports events and active promotions that are well suited for driving sports traffic.
Key Sports Events in February
11.02.2026
Soccer | Italy, Coppa Italia | Quarter-final | Bologna – Lazio
Ice Hockey | Olympic Games | Slovakia vs Finland
Soccer | England, Premier League | Manchester City – Fulham
Soccer | Germany, DFB Pokal | Quarter-final | Bayern Munich – RB Leipzig
Basketball | NBA | Houston Rockets – LA Clippers
Soccer | CONMEBOL, Copa Libertadores, Qualification, Quarter-finals | 2-nd legs
12.02.2026
Ice Hockey | Olympic Games | Czech Republic vs Canada
Soccer | England, Premier League | Brentford – Arsenal
Basketball | NBA | Orlando Magic – Milwaukee Bucks
Basketball | EuroLeague, Regular Season | Round 28
Rugby League | Super League (England, France) | Regular Season
13.02.2026
Ice Hockey | Olympic Games | Canada vs Switzerland
Basketball | NBA | Oklahoma City Thunder – Milwaukee Bucks
Handball | Germany, Bundesliga | Next Round
14.02.2026
Ice Hockey | Olympic Games | USA vs Denmark
Soccer | England, FA Cup | 1/16-finals
Soccer | Germany, Bundesliga | Werder Bremen – Bayern Munich
Rugby Union | France, Top 14 | Round 17
Handball | Spain, Liga ASOBAL | Next Round
Basketball | Spain, Liga ACB | Round 20
15.02.2026
Ice Hockey | Olympic Games | Switzerland vs Czech Republic
Soccer | Italy, Serie A | Inter – Juventus
Soccer | Italy, Serie A | Napoli – AS Roma
Soccer | Italy, Serie A | Lazio – Atalanta
Soccer | Spain, LaLiga | Girona – Barcelona
Soccer | Spain, LaLiga | Real Madrid – Real Sociedad
Soccer | France, Ligue 1 | Marseille – Strasbourg
Soccer | France, Ligue 1 | Rennes – PSG
Basketball | NBA | ALL-Star
Tennis | WTA 1000 Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
Active Promotions Across N1 Partners Brands
To boost player activity and support conversion rates during peak dates, N1 Partners is launching seasonal Valentine’s Day promotions across key brands. These campaigns provide partners with additional leverage when driving traffic and engaging users.
Valentine’s Advent Calendar (N1 Bet, RollXO)
Period: 13.02–17.02
Daily rewards available for participants over five days:
- 13.02 Love Box: prize up to €15,000
- 14.02 Valentine’s Riddle Offer: 100% bonus up to €500 + 150 FS
- 15.02 Sunday Challenge: 50% bonus on the 3rd deposit
- 16.02 Road to Free Spins: 30 FS for every €350
- 17.02 Fortune Lottery Series: prize pool €63,000
Cupid Mailbox Lottery (Lucky Hunter)
Period: 09.02–14.02
Prize pool for 28 winners: trip to Paris + €6,400 + 1,400 FS
Why This Matters for Partners
Seasonal promotions and event-driven campaigns help partners address several key challenges when working with Tier-1 traffic:
- encourage higher average deposits
- increase LTV through repeat engagement
- sustain activity during periods when CR typically declines
- integrate smoothly into creative bundles and ad formats
- strengthen the emotional appeal of offers through holidays and major events
In a highly competitive environment, these product-driven initiatives help partners maintain stable and predictable performance.
What Partners Should Do Now
February combines major sports events, seasonal triggers, and strong promotional mechanics into a single high-potential window.
Drive traffic to key sports events and Valentine’s Day promotions across N1 Partners brands: N1 Bet, RollXO, and Lucky Hunter.
The N1 Partners team is ready to provide up-to-date promotions, analytics, and dedicated support tailored to your traffic volumes.
Join N1 Partners
N1 Partners provides everything affiliates need to stay ahead: high-converting products, ongoing analytics with optimization recommendations, and hands-on support from managers focused on long-term performance.
N1 Partners is more than an affiliate program. As a multi-brand affiliate platform and direct advertiser, the company unites 14+ casino and betting brands, operates across Tier-1 GEOs, delivers Reg2Dep rates of up to 70%, and offers competitive deals for top partners — CPA up to €700 and RevShare up to 45%. Trusted by 14,000+ partners, N1 Partners is recognized for its transparency, flexibility, and partner-first approach — where people and communication quality remain the foundation of long-term success.
The post Top Sports Events & Promos by N1 Partners: Where to Drive Tier-1 Traffic in February appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
N1 Partners expands its sports traffic capabilities. Betting is now available across three brands within the affiliate program’s portfolio: alongside the flagship sports product N1 Bet, RollXO and Lucky Hunter have joined the lineup.
For partners, this opens up new opportunities to work with Tier-1 sports traffic. You can scale volumes on a dedicated betting product while simultaneously running sports traffic on casino brands with already strong conversion rates. This approach allows affiliates to diversify traffic flows, reduce reliance on a single product, and strengthen key performance metrics by combining sports, casino, and seasonal promotional mechanics.
Why Seasonal Events Matter When Driving Traffic
In practice, the most consistent conversion results are achieved when traffic launches are aligned with seasonality, key news hooks, and behavioral peaks in player activity.
February offers a particularly strong combination of factors:
- a packed schedule of top football leagues and tournaments
- the Winter Olympic Games
- seasonal holidays, including Valentine’s Day
- increased emotional engagement from players
During such periods, users are more likely to make deposit decisions, engage with promotions, and return to the product. Timing and the right contextual hook have a direct impact on overall performance.
To simplify campaign planning and help partners make the most of this period, the N1 Partners team has prepared a selection of key sports events and active promotions that are well suited for driving sports traffic.
Key Sports Events in February
11.02.2026
Soccer | Italy, Coppa Italia | Quarter-final | Bologna – Lazio
Ice Hockey | Olympic Games | Slovakia vs Finland
Soccer | England, Premier League | Manchester City – Fulham
Soccer | Germany, DFB Pokal | Quarter-final | Bayern Munich – RB Leipzig
Basketball | NBA | Houston Rockets – LA Clippers
Soccer | CONMEBOL, Copa Libertadores, Qualification, Quarter-finals | 2-nd legs
12.02.2026
Ice Hockey | Olympic Games | Czech Republic vs Canada
Soccer | England, Premier League | Brentford – Arsenal
Basketball | NBA | Orlando Magic – Milwaukee Bucks
Basketball | EuroLeague, Regular Season | Round 28
Rugby League | Super League (England, France) | Regular Season
13.02.2026
Ice Hockey | Olympic Games | Canada vs Switzerland
Basketball | NBA | Oklahoma City Thunder – Milwaukee Bucks
Handball | Germany, Bundesliga | Next Round
14.02.2026
Ice Hockey | Olympic Games | USA vs Denmark
Soccer | England, FA Cup | 1/16-finals
Soccer | Germany, Bundesliga | Werder Bremen – Bayern Munich
Rugby Union | France, Top 14 | Round 17
Handball | Spain, Liga ASOBAL | Next Round
Basketball | Spain, Liga ACB | Round 20
15.02.2026
Ice Hockey | Olympic Games | Switzerland vs Czech Republic
Soccer | Italy, Serie A | Inter – Juventus
Soccer | Italy, Serie A | Napoli – AS Roma
Soccer | Italy, Serie A | Lazio – Atalanta
Soccer | Spain, LaLiga | Girona – Barcelona
Soccer | Spain, LaLiga | Real Madrid – Real Sociedad
Soccer | France, Ligue 1 | Marseille – Strasbourg
Soccer | France, Ligue 1 | Rennes – PSG
Basketball | NBA | ALL-Star
Tennis | WTA 1000 Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
Active Promotions Across N1 Partners Brands
To boost player activity and support conversion rates during peak dates, N1 Partners is launching seasonal Valentine’s Day promotions across key brands. These campaigns provide partners with additional leverage when driving traffic and engaging users.
Valentine’s Advent Calendar (N1 Bet, RollXO)
Period: 13.02–17.02
Daily rewards available for participants over five days:
- 13.02 Love Box: prize up to €15,000
- 14.02 Valentine’s Riddle Offer: 100% bonus up to €500 + 150 FS
- 15.02 Sunday Challenge: 50% bonus on the 3rd deposit
- 16.02 Road to Free Spins: 30 FS for every €350
- 17.02 Fortune Lottery Series: prize pool €63,000
Cupid Mailbox Lottery (Lucky Hunter)
Period: 09.02–14.02
Prize pool for 28 winners: trip to Paris + €6,400 + 1,400 FS
Why This Matters for Partners
Seasonal promotions and event-driven campaigns help partners address several key challenges when working with Tier-1 traffic:
- encourage higher average deposits
- increase LTV through repeat engagement
- sustain activity during periods when CR typically declines
- integrate smoothly into creative bundles and ad formats
- strengthen the emotional appeal of offers through holidays and major events
In a highly competitive environment, these product-driven initiatives help partners maintain stable and predictable performance.
What Partners Should Do Now
February combines major sports events, seasonal triggers, and strong promotional mechanics into a single high-potential window.
Drive traffic to key sports events and Valentine’s Day promotions across N1 Partners brands: N1 Bet, RollXO, and Lucky Hunter.
The N1 Partners team is ready to provide up-to-date promotions, analytics, and dedicated support tailored to your traffic volumes.
Join N1 Partners
N1 Partners provides everything affiliates need to stay ahead: high-converting products, ongoing analytics with optimization recommendations, and hands-on support from managers focused on long-term performance.
N1 Partners is more than an affiliate program. As a multi-brand affiliate platform and direct advertiser, the company unites 14+ casino and betting brands, operates across Tier-1 GEOs, delivers Reg2Dep rates of up to 70%, and offers competitive deals for top partners — CPA up to €700 and RevShare up to 45%. Trusted by 14,000+ partners, N1 Partners is recognized for its transparency, flexibility, and partner-first approach — where people and communication quality remain the foundation of long-term success.
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