Canada
MediaTroopers Secures Maryland License
MediaTroopers, the pioneering digital marketing agency specializing in online sports betting and casino, announced this week that it received its Maryland license and is planning to launch activities in the Old Line State. Approved by the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, MediaTroopers is now able to offer its decades of combined expertise and top-quality sports betting and casino services to avid bettors in the state.
MediaTroopers’s Maryland Casinos/Sports Wagering Vendor License
MediaTroopers has established itself as a leading publisher in the sports betting, casino, poker, and iGaming US regulated markets. Similarly, the company is also an innovative agency in many newly legalized states.
MediaTroopers is licensed in 10 US states that require a license, and the company operates in a total of 19 states where online gambling is legal, and in Washington DC. MediaTroopers recently also launched its regulated Canadian operations in Ontario. Like many of its US states, Canada has been proven a roaring success with sports bettors looking for legal, safe betting.
MediaTroopers’ current operating grounds include several of Maryland’s close neighbours. The company has seen success in states like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Virginia. Therefore, by bringing its quality marketing services to Maryland, the company can reach a brand new audience base and deliver up-to-date news on all things sports betting and online gambling.
Sam Segal, the CEO of MediaTroopers, noted, “We are beyond thrilled to have received a Casinos/Sports Wagering Vendor License with the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency. While we already hold valid licensing and regulation in over a dozen US states, adding Maryland to our substantial portfolio enables us to continue providing our pioneering services to the Mid-Atlantic region of the US.”
MediaTroopers have grown exponentially, more than doubling the number of US states it is operational in over the past year. After being like in 7 states at the end of 2020, the prominent affiliate company is now active in over 16 US states, with Maryland following close behind. This solid expansion has been made possible thanks to MediaTroopers being one of the first companies to obtain licenses and enter new states as soon as they go live.
Exciting Time For Old Line State Bettors
Maryland welcomed its first retail sportsbooks back in December 2021, but the state is yet to launch its online sports betting market. Yet, online betting may come to the state much sooner than you think. John Martin, the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency director, stated that online sports betting will launch in the fall of 2022, just in time for the 2022 NFL season.
Nonetheless, Old Line State bettors will likely have a vast number of sportsbook operators available in the future, as Maryland’s legislation allows up to 60 mobile licenses.
Notable newcomers to Maryland’s betting market may include Barstool Sportsbook, whose parent company (Penn National) acquired a land-based casino in the state in 2020. Ultimately, this would pave the way for an online Barstool sports betting platform in MD. Furthermore, both FanDuel and DraftKings offered significant financial backing to efforts supporting the legalization of sports betting in Maryland in 2020. Therefore, we will likely see both brands launch online operations in the state.
MediaTroopers already has a strong portfolio of dozens of leading US gambling operators and sportsbooks under its belt, including DraftKings, FanDuel, PointsBet, Unibet, and more. As such, thanks to the marketing agency’s long-standing partnerships with the country’s biggest brands, MediaTroopers can promote its partners in MD once legal online betting goes live.
The Future of Maryland Sports Betting
When asked about the future potential of the state, Segal continued, “With the potential for up to 60 mobile betting operators to gain a license in Maryland, the state has the possibility to become one of the US’ most significant online betting markets.”
“Ultimately, Maryland is a state we here at MediaTroopers are really looking forward to working in,” Segal added. “We highly anticipate bringing Maryland bettors even more fun and excitement with legal, safe, and responsible sports betting.”
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affiliate marketing
SEOBROTHERS’ Aleksandra Drigo flags higher barriers for affiliates in regulated Alberta
SEOBROTHERS Chief of Business Development Aleksandra Drigo says Alberta’s move toward a regulated online gambling market is likely to raise the cost and complexity of affiliate acquisition, reshaping competition for SEO-led publishers. Drigo shared the view in an exclusive interview with SiGMA News focused on Canada’s affiliate landscape.
Drigo said regulation can bring more transparency, but also higher compliance demands and tougher economics for smaller players. “Many affiliates, especially independent SEO players, may decide not to enter fully regulated markets and instead focus on regions with more predictable economics and lower regulatory pressure,” she said.
She added that regulated markets typically advantage well-funded affiliate groups with the ability to invest in legal and compliance support and tracking infrastructure. “Regulated markets tend to favour larger players. Big affiliate companies have the resources for legal support, compliance teams, advanced tracking infrastructure, and long-term investment without expecting fast ROI.”
On partner selection, Drigo said affiliates are increasingly weighing operators on operational quality and regulatory readiness, not just commercial terms. “We pay close attention to how consistent an operator is in terms of reporting, responsible gaming policies, speed of communication, and local regulations compliance. Reputation risks affect both sides. If an operator lacks transparency or fails to follow compliance standards, it directly impacts the affiliate business as well.”
Drigo also pointed to communication and access to performance data as major friction points in operator-affiliate relationships. “Financial disagreements can usually be resolved quickly if there is trust and clear communication between both sides. Whereas, when affiliates do not receive timely information, face unclear reporting, or get no explanation for performance changes, tensions escalate very quickly. In regulated markets, communication and transparency become just as important as the financial terms themselves.”
Looking ahead, Drigo said affiliates targeting regulated North American markets will need stronger localisation, trusted brands and more diversified traffic strategies as search behaviour changes. “With AI and online search ecosystem changes already transforming the SEO landscape, affiliates need to become much more flexible and technology-driven than before. And compliance-friendly SEO strategies and diversification beyond traditional search traffic are becoming increasingly important.”
The post SEOBROTHERS’ Aleksandra Drigo flags higher barriers for affiliates in regulated Alberta appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Affiliate Industry
SiGMA exclusive: Aleksandra Drigo on traffic shifts, transparency, and the future of SEO affiliates
In an exclusive interview for the SiGMA News, Aleksandra Drigo, Chief of Business Development at SEOBROTHERS, shared her perspective on the future of affiliate marketing in Canada.
She discussed how Alberta’s upcoming market launch could reshape competition, why transparency has become a cornerstone of operator-affiliate partnerships, how compliance is changing the way affiliates choose partners, and why localisation, trusted brands, and data-driven decision-making will define the next generation of SEO affiliates.
Regulation will reshape Alberta’s affiliate landscape
As Alberta prepares to regulate its online gambling market, affiliates are entering a more challenging environment. While regulation brings greater transparency, it also increases compliance demands, acquisition costs, and competition – particularly from larger, well-funded companies.
“Many affiliates, especially independent SEO players, may decide not to enter fully regulated markets and instead focus on regions with more predictable economics and lower regulatory pressure,” Aleksandra said.
Bigger brands gain the advantage
According to Drigo, regulated markets naturally favour established affiliate businesses, whereas smaller publishers face much higher barriers to entry despite niche opportunities still existing.
“Regulated markets tend to favour larger players. Big affiliate companies have the resources for legal support, compliance teams, advanced tracking infrastructure, and long-term investment without expecting fast ROI.”
Compliance is now a deciding factor
Operator selection is no longer based solely on commercial terms. Affiliates increasingly assess partners by their transparency, reporting quality, responsible gaming standards, responsiveness, and ability to meet local regulatory requirements.
“We pay close attention to how consistent an operator is in terms of reporting, responsible gaming policies, speed of communication, and local regulations compliance. Reputation risks affect both sides. If an operator lacks transparency or fails to follow compliance standards, it directly impacts the affiliate business as well.”
Communication matters more than financial disputes
Drigo believes that most partnership conflicts arise not from payment issues, but from poor communication and limited access to performance data.
“Financial disagreements can usually be resolved quickly if there is trust and clear communication between both sides. Whereas, when affiliates do not receive timely information, face unclear reporting, or get no explanation for performance changes, tensions escalate very quickly. In regulated markets, communication and transparency become just as important as the financial terms themselves.”
The future belongs to trusted brands and localisation
Looking ahead, Drigo expects meticulous localisation, brand authority, first-party audiences, and community-driven products to define success in regulated North American markets. As AI reshapes search, affiliates will need stronger technology, diversified traffic sources, and compliance-friendly SEO strategies to remain competitive.
“With AI and online search ecosystem changes already transforming the SEO landscape, affiliates need to become much more flexible and technology-driven than before. And compliance-friendly SEO strategies and diversification beyond traditional search traffic are becoming increasingly important.”
The post SiGMA exclusive: Aleksandra Drigo on traffic shifts, transparency, and the future of SEO affiliates appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
St8 has extended its content partnership with Octoplay into Ontario and the UK, expanding distribution of Octoplay’s casino games in two regulated markets. The companies announced the move on 2 July, 2026.
Under the expanded agreement, St8 will make Octoplay’s full portfolio available to operators in both jurisdictions through St8’s single API integration.
David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said:
“Expanding our partnership with Octoplay into Ontario and the UK is another important milestone as we continue to strengthen our aggregation platform with premium content from leading suppliers.
“Octoplay has built an excellent reputation for developing engaging, high-performing games, and we’re delighted to extend this collaboration into two highly strategic regulated markets. This agreement enables our operator partners to access even more quality content through a single integration while supporting their growth in competitive jurisdictions.”
Ralitsa Georgieva, CEO at Octoplay added:
“We’re pleased to expand our partnership with St8 into Ontario and the UK, making our full portfolio available to even more operators through its aggregation platform. St8 has established itself as a trusted technology partner for regulated markets, and we look forward to building on our successful collaboration together.”
The post St8 expands Octoplay aggregation deal to Ontario and the UK appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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