Affiliate Industry
What Has the Affiliate World Turned Into? The Evolution of iGaming Over the Years
By Dima, Head of Growe Partners
If you’ve been in iGaming affiliate marketing for a while, you will agree with me that things have changed drastically. I’ve been in the industry long enough to remember when conferences felt more like circus shows than business events, traffic quality wasn’t always a priority, and short-term profits were often the main goal. But those days are long gone.
Over the last five to ten years, we’ve seen the industry mature. Flashy gimmicks have been replaced by networking, data-driven decision-making, and long-term partnerships. The game has changed — and so have the rules for success.
From Wild Shows to Professionalism: The Evolution of Industry Events
I remember my first industry events — let’s just say, they were memorable. We’re talking about conferences where organizers brought in wild animals, eccentric performers, and over-the-top entertainment to grab attention. And, honestly, back then, it worked. The industry was still finding its feet, and the focus was more on making noise than making deals.
But if you walk into an iGaming event today, the atmosphere is completely different. The focus has shifted towards high-quality networking, serious business discussions, and insightful panels. Operators, affiliates, and service providers are no longer looking for a spectacle — they want valuable conversations, real partnerships, and data that can help them scale. This shift isn’t just anecdotal; attendance data from major events like iGB Affiliate London and ICE reflects this new industry mindset.
To put the tendencies in the niche perfectly: “The days of pure entertainment are over. Now, events are about meeting the right people, discussing market trends, and sharing insights that actually drive business forward. Everyone wants to learn, not just party.”
This change also reflects growing competition. The industry has matured, and operators expect affiliates to be strategic business partners rather than opportunistic traffic sources. As a result, industry gatherings now prioritize collaboration over spectacle, allowing attendees to gain actionable insights and form meaningful business relationships.
The End of “Quick Wins” and the Rise of Long-Term Partnerships
A decade ago, the affiliate model was simple: drive traffic as fast as possible, cash out, and move on. High churn rates weren’t a problem, and long-term value (LTV) was barely part of the conversation. The goal was short-term profit.
Now, that approach just doesn’t work anymore. Operators have become much more selective. They want affiliates who bring in high-quality players, not just a flood of short-term sign-ups. Retention has become just as important as acquisition, and brands want partners who can deliver sustainable results. Recent trends indicate that operators are increasingly focusing on retention strategies to maintain player engagement and profitability.
Some affiliates have completely overhauled their strategies, moving towards content-driven approaches, CRM integration, and player engagement tactics. Email marketing, push notifications, and tailored offers are now essential tools in the affiliate playbook. The shift to lifetime value-driven metrics means that affiliates must analyze data, optimize player journeys, and work closely with operators to maintain long-term profitability.
Raising the Bar: Quality Traffic Is Now the Standard
It’s not just about partnerships — the standards for traffic quality have skyrocketed. Years ago, some affiliates could get away with gray-hat methods: things like incentivized traffic, bots, or misleading promotions.
Not anymore. Operators are demanding transparency and engagement metrics that actually matter. They want players who deposit, play, and stick around, not just one-time sign-ups.
“We’ve seen a massive shift in traffic evaluation. If your players aren’t engaging, operators will cut you off. There’s no room for low-quality traffic anymore,” commented Mykyta, Head Of Affiliates at Growe Partners. “Everyone is focused on LTV now, and if your traffic isn’t bringing in valuable players, you’re going to struggle to find good deals.”
This heightened scrutiny has led to the decline of black-hat techniques and a greater emphasis on compliance and ethical marketing. Affiliates now invest in data analytics to monitor traffic quality and ensure alignment with operators’ expectations. Some are even forming exclusive partnerships with brands to ensure traffic consistency and build a reputation for delivering high-value players.
The Mobile-First Revolution: Adapting to the New Reality
Ten years ago, desktop traffic dominated. Most players signed up through websites, and mobile gambling was still a niche.
Fast forward to today — mobile is everything. The majority of players now deposit, bet, and interact with brands directly from their phones. Recent studies show that mobile devices account for over 70% of global online gambling revenue, with mobile gambling projected to grow at a CAGR of 11.5% over the next five years.
One thing is clear: if your website, funnels, and marketing strategies aren’t optimized for mobile-first, you’re losing a massive percentage of potential players. Affiliates have had to rethink everything, from ad placements and UX design to the way they track and analyze player behavior across different devices.
AI and Automation: The Affiliate Game-Changer
One of the biggest shifts I’ve seen is how much AI has changed our approach to marketing. Years ago, affiliate marketing was all about manual testing — setting up campaigns, running A/B tests, and figuring things out through trial and error.
Now, AI-driven tools handle campaign optimization, ad targeting, and even content creation. AI can analyze thousands of data points in real-time, adjusting campaigns to find the most profitable audience segments. According to a 2023 report from McKinsey, AI-driven marketing strategies have increased conversion rates by up to 35% for affiliates who integrate them effectively.
“AI isn’t replacing affiliates — it’s giving them the tools to work smarter and make better decisions,” said Anna-Mariia, Affiliate Team Lead at Growe Partners . “Today, AI can generate ad creatives, predict user behavior, and even automate entire campaigns. The affiliates who are leveraging these tools are gaining a huge competitive advantage.”
New Markets, New Opportunities: The Rise of LATAM
One of the biggest industry shifts in recent years has been the explosive growth of Latin America (LATAM). Markets like Argentina, Chile, and Mexico have become prime territories for iGaming, offering huge potential for affiliates who know how to localize their approach. Market data shows that LATAM’s iGaming sector is growing at an annual rate of 20%, outpacing most European markets.
Chile and Argentina, which we are actively working with, have emerged as some of the most promising markets in Latin America. As iGaming adoption continues to rise, these countries present significant opportunities for affiliates who can adapt to local regulatory requirements and cultural preferences. And, of course, affiliates who understand regional payment preferences, player behavior, and localized marketing strategies will have a clear advantage over those applying a one-size-fits-all approach.
What To Expect Next?
Looking back at how the industry has evolved, one thing is clear: affiliate marketing isn’t as easy as it used to be, but it’s more rewarding than ever. The days of quick wins and shady tactics are over. Success now requires long-term thinking, high-quality traffic, and strategic partnerships. Affiliates who embrace AI, mobile-first strategies, and new markets like LATAM will be the ones leading the next decade of growth. The affiliate world has changed, but for those willing to adapt, the opportunities are bigger than ever.
The post What Has the Affiliate World Turned Into? The Evolution of iGaming Over the Years appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Affiliate Industry
Beyond Bonuses: Shaun Decesare’s Mission to Redefine Affiliate Integrity in iGaming
Reading Time: 5 minutes
Vision & Motivation
You mentioned this was a “pipedream 10 years in the making.” What finally gave you the push to take the leap into owning and rebuilding an affiliate site?
It was always a dream of mine to have my own business and ‘be my own boss’ so to speak. I’ve taken an interest in the iGaming sector from a very young age and I knew this was instantly a passion of mine. What gave me the impetus to take the leap was twofold. The first being that I had been delaying this for too long, I decided that this is it, I will take the leap of fate and live and die by my decisions. The Second being I wanted to get out of the monotonous 9-5 routine. Having a young family, I want to prioritise spending as much time with them as possible. Doing this has allowed me to do that.
What does success look like for you with CasinoBonus360—not just in terms of traffic or revenue, but in how the brand is perceived by users?
Taking the site back to its glory days of the late 2010s, having witnessed first hand the success of this whilst at my former role within Catena Media, I know its potential is through the roof. I want CB360 to be a trusted, well reviewed site that users can check out all brands with confidence that this is not just a money grab. The users are being put first.
Why is trust such a central pillar in your vision for the site? What do you think has eroded trust in this space, and how do you plan to rebuild it?
Trust is at an all time low in this industry, scams are everywhere you look. As a consumer, this is evident in all forms of the gambling industry. I want to right the wrongs of others and attempt to restore the faith back to what it once was. We plan to rebuild it through various means, such as delivering a top quality service to all our new and existing users. One that is meaningful and long lasting. This will triumph over any quick financial gain.
Editorial Direction & Content Strategy
Editorial Direction & Content StrategyYou’ve emphasized tougher editorial standards and evergreen content. What does your editorial process look like now compared to the previous version of the site?
We are not comparing ourselves to anyone else because we do not know how other teams operated. The shift has to happen inside the own workflow. In the past, things were faster, more intuitive and less documented. Today the process is far more deliberate with clear research steps, structured fact checking, internal reviews, consistent criteria and a final quality pass. It is a more mature and more disciplined version of how we used to work, still personal but with higher standards and better control.
How are you ensuring your reviews and guides are genuinely useful to users rather than just SEO-driven?
We start with real user questions and not with keyword lists. Every claim needs a source or a test reference. If a keyword does not fit naturally, we leave it out. The content must read smoothly and help the reader get clarity and make a decision. Useful content performs better in the long run than keyword tactics.
Can you walk us through how your team scores or tests casinos? What makes your approach different from competitors’?
We play for real. We register, verify, deposit, withdraw and talk to support. We score what happens, not what is promised. No gut ratings and no hidden deals. Every score follows the same criteria and the same pressure test. If a casino fails on trust or transparency, it gets called out.
What are some examples of content you’ve either removed or completely rewritten during the rebuild—and why?
Anything that wasted space or repeated nonsense is gone. Old fluff bonus pages, outdated lists, weak guides and duplicated topics were cut. Only the content that delivers real answers survived. Everything else was removed because it did not deserve attention.
SEO & Technical Evolution
You’ve worked with an SEO/site manager to shift toward a more data-driven SEO approach. What’s been the biggest mindset shift in how you approach SEO now?
We stopped chasing keywords and started aiming for accuracy. SEO is now a data tool, not a shortcut. We choose topics where we can deliver real value and real testing. No more trying to win fast. The goal is long term authority, not temporary spikes.
You’ve spoken about moving away from “keyword stuffing.” How do you balance SEO goals with writing content that feels natural and user-focused?
We write like humans and fix anything that sounds robotic. SEO helps with structure, but it never dictates the voice. If the text feels fake or over optimized, it gets rewritten. Users come first. Algorithms follow later.
What are the key technical improvements you’ve made (or plan to make) to the site’s infrastructure to support long-term stability and performance?
We stripped the site down and rebuilt it in a way that does not break every time the internet sneezes. The code is cleaner, the plugins are trimmed down, caching is actually doing its job and every asset is optimized instead of thrown in raw. The structure is modular so we can grow without creating a monster we cannot maintain.
We also stopped pretending that Google is the only gatekeeper. Search is shifting toward AI driven answers, so the site needs to be fast, clear and machine readable. That means better schema, tighter linking, cleaner layouts, consistent data structures and content that is easy for AI systems to interpret. The goal is not just ranking but becoming the source that AI tools pick because the information is solid and well structured.
Industry Insights & User Perspective
With your background in the gaming industry, what are the biggest misconceptions affiliate sites have about what players want?
Number 1 is surely welcome bonuses, these are a thing of the past. The average consumer is now smart enough to know that welcome bonuses are traps. They actually have the opposite intended effect of what they were originally designed to do. In fact, we are targeting brands that have as low of a wagering requirement as possible. We do not enlist brands that have over 20x wagering requirements. This is completely unrealistic to anyone to ever obtain any chance of a withdrawal. Gambling should be fun, it should not increase the anxiety of the user.
What red flags do you think users should be aware of when reading affiliate content on other sites?
Always check out the authors on site and see if they are real people, most sites put down fake characters for one reason or another which just erodes the authenticity of the brand. This is by far away my number 1 red flag.
How are you collecting feedback from users, and how does that inform your content and design decisions?
We are conducting surveys with our users on a monthly basis and asking for what they like and what they don’t like. This will allow us to adjust our articles and content accordingly. We firmly believe in consumer first at CB360 and this is the motto will stand by for the lifespan of our site.
Looking Forward
What challenges are you expecting in the next 6–12 months, and how are you planning to tackle them?
The number one challenge is to increase the traffic on site. Whilst we have overhauled all the outdated content with brand new, relevant, beautiful pieces of work, we are still struggling to see a big increase in traffic. This may be due to google updates that have hampered SEO of late. We are looking at all avenues into new avenues to increase traffic.
Do you see CasinoBonus360 expanding into new verticals, formats, or markets in the future?
For now, we shall take things one step at a time, we have a 12 month plan which we are executing, and should it come to fruition, we will examine our options further down the line.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone considering launching or rebuilding an affiliate site today, what would it be?
Get ready for a lot of work, it is easier said than done, but the rewards will be worth it.
The post Beyond Bonuses: Shaun Decesare’s Mission to Redefine Affiliate Integrity in iGaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Reading Time: < 1 minute
SiGMA Europe is one of the most significant events in the iGaming industry. This year, the event is taking place in Rome and will bring together over 30,000 attendees, 1200 sponsors and feature four stages with 550+ top speakers.
On November 05, in partnership with MelBet Partners & Affiliates, former MMA legend and World Champion Kamaru Usman will join the event as a special guest. At booth 5067G attendees of SiGMA Central Europe have the chance to take photos, hear insights and what it takes to rise to the top on a global stage.
During the conference, there will be two activities available for guests at MelBet’s booth:
Punch Challenge. Anyone can come to the booth on November 4 and test their punching power. The person with the strongest punch will have the honour of competing against Kamaru Usman himself.
Want to get exclusive merchandise and take a photo with the MelBet Partners & Affiliates championship belt? Visit the booth. Follow MelBet’s official Instagram account and take a picture with the belt. Those who post a story with the championship belt and tag MelBet will automatically be entered into a drawing for exclusive UFC-themed merchandise.
There will also be a private party, Triumph of the Gladiators, exclusively for the partners and representatives of MelBet Partners & Affiliates, which Kamaru himself will attend. This evening will be an epic event, where history and modernity merge into one.
The post MelBet Partners to Bring UFC Champion Kamaru Usman to SiGMA Central Europe appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Refie, the new living interface inside ReferOn, it’s here.
ReferOn, the next-generation affiliate management platform, has launched Refie — a built-in interface layer that gives the platform its own awareness, making interaction faster, clearer, and more human.
Refie represents a new level of interaction within ReferOn, designed to make complex affiliate data easier to perceive and act on through visual feedback that turns system logic into something instantly understandable. He now lives inside the platform’s interface, appearing on onboarding screens and system state pages, where he reflects how the system feels and responds in real time.
Refie isn’t a chatbot or a mascot — he’s an integrated UX layer that connects technical precision with human intuition. By reducing noise and guiding attention naturally, he helps affiliate managers work faster while avoiding mistakes and staying aligned with live performance data.
We like to call this approach “lazy intelligence” — systems that think before you do so you can focus on what actually matters. Refie is the first visible step toward that.
Roadmap: From Awareness to Assistance
Refie’s introduction marks the beginning of ReferOn’s next development stage.
He’s the foundation for what comes next: gamification, engagement, and, ultimately, intelligent assistance. Through him, we’ll introduce a more interactive, rewarding experience where every action feels meaningful. Over time, Refie will evolve from a visual signal into a personal AI agent — the intelligent core of the ReferOn platform.
Vlad Bondarenko, ReferOn’s Head of Product, commented, “Refie isn’t just an add-on or feature — it’s a reflection of how our platform and team think. For years, affiliate platforms have been built for reporting, not for people. We wanted to change that. Refie was born to simplify. He embodies how we think about technology: clarity, control, and connection should feel natural, not forced.
With Refie, ReferOn has learned how to say hi — not with words, but quietly, through awareness. It’s how the system shows it understands what’s happening. He represents the moment ReferOn moved beyond functionality and toward awareness, emotion, and intelligence. The launch goal is to show that the era of faceless B2B tools is ending.”
The ReferOn team will showcase the platform’s latest innovations at SiGMA Central Europe in Rome (Booth 5044). There, attendees can explore the system in action, connect with the team, and experience Refie — the living interface making its first public debut.
The post When Logic Finds a Face: Meet Refie, ReferOn’s New Living Interface appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Amusnet5 days ago
Amusnet CEO Ivo Georgiev Honoured with Golden Medal by the Technical University of Sofia
-
Åland5 days ago
Kambi Group plc and Paf sign long-term sportsbook partnership extension
-
Balkan Entertainment & Gaming Expo5 days ago
CT Interactive Unveils Latest Content at BEGE 2025
-
Balkans5 days ago
EGT is among the main contenders for the prize in several categories at the BEGE Awards 2025
-
40 Bulky Fruits Buy Bonus5 days ago
Amusnet Unveils 40 Bulky Fruits Buy Bonus: A Juicy Twist on the Classic Fruit Slot Experience
-
Latest News5 days agoEvenBet Gaming Presents Spins Poker: A Revolution in Online Poker
-
Compliance Updates5 days ago
Corinne Valletta Wins Chief Compliance Officer of the Year at the Global Regulatory Awards 2025
-
Michigan7 days ago
Michigan Online Casinos 2025: BetWhale Stands Out in Michigan for Its Consistently Fast Withdrawal Cashouts
