To understand the story of Media 24, you really have to understand Arturs’ journey. He was the company’s very first employee, joining at the absolute beginning and helping build the foundation of what the business is today. After several years as Head of Sales, he has now stepped up to lead the entire organization into its next chapter.

In this interview, we’re going to talk about that transition from first employee to CEO. We’ll discuss Arturs’ vision for evolving Media 24 from a traditional affiliate into a modern digital ecosystem, his philosophy on internal leadership and delegation, and how the company is preparing for a massive 2026.

How does coming from a Head of Sales background change the way you view the CEO role compared to someone who might come from a product or tech background?

Coming from sales, you’re always focused on the finish line. A tech person might get caught up in making things perfect or adding features just because they’re cool. I don’t have that luxury. My focus is on things that actually move us forward. I’ve spent years talking to partners and seeing exactly what makes money and what doesn’t.

We’ve had that same philosophy at Media 24 since I started as the first employee. Act fast, check the data, and improve on what works.

Coming from sales also makes me more comfortable with the human side of the business. Being CEO isn’t just about decisions. But also about selling a vision to the team so they actually want to follow you. In sales, if people don’t believe in what you’re saying, you fail. I’m just applying that same logic here.

You were the first employee in Media 24, doing everything yourself. Now that you’re CEO, how do you handle stepping back and letting your team take the lead?

In the early days, If something needed doing, I did it. But you can’t scale a company if you’re making every decision yourself. My job now is to give my team the resources and the space to lead.

We’ve always believed in growing our own talent. For example, we recently promoted our new Head of Growth and our Head of Website Operations from within. Both have been with us for years. They’ve seen the company evolve, and I trust them completely.

I’m not looking for people who always agree with me. I want professionals who understand this business as well as I do, if not better. By promoting from within, I’m surrounding myself with people who have Media 24’s mindset but bring their own expert perspectives. My role now is to clear the path for them so they can build the products that will define our next few years in the industry.

We are seeing constant core updates. How is Media 24 protecting itself against the volatility of organic search?

You can’t ever truly be prepared for a Google update if your entire strategy is based on trying to trick an algorithm. If you spend all your time looking for shortcuts, you’re always going to be chasing the ones who lead.

Last year at Media 24, we took a serious look at our approach and redesigned our product strategy. Today, we aren’t building sites just to rank well. Instead, we’re building platforms that aim to be the undeniable go-to resource for each specific market

That means we’re investing heavily in the things that actually matter to a human being, not just a crawler. We’re re-imagining our content to provide real value, doubling down on UX, and constantly improving the product itself. By focusing on the end-user, search rankings become a byproduct of our quality rather than a lucky break we’re trying to keep.

Affiliates are often seen as “top of funnel.” How is Media 24 trying to own more of the user journey after the initial click?

It’s true that most affiliates stop at the click, but we see that as a missed opportunity. We understand that acquiring a new depositor is always significantly more expensive than retaining an existing one.

We’re moving toward building actual communities around our top platforms. A user might come to us for a specific bonus, but they are likely interested in other offers or new products down the road.

To capture that, we are creating touchpoints beyond just the website. We’re building a presence on social media and other channels where our users actually spend their time. If we can stay in front of the user where it matters, then we aren’t just sending traffic to operators. We’re delivering a much more loyal and valuable player.

There are cases when operators discontinue affiliate programs or cut commission rates. How do you future-proof a business that’s dependent on those relationships?

Unfortunately, that’s just the reality of the industry sometimes. You have to accept that these risks exist. For us, navigating those shifts is part of the process of building long-term relationships. You find out very quickly who your true partners are when things get tough.

That’s exactly why we invest so much time being present. We attend a lot of conferences and industry events throughout the year to meet our partners face-to-face. By staying close to the market and our partners, we can spot the red flags early and focus on the operators who actually value a fair, long-term collaboration.

Is Media 24 looking to diversify away from pure SEO traffic? Are PPC or social media traffic on your 2026 roadmap?

For 2026, our focus is staying on what we do best and what operators actually value most. SEO traffic is still the gold standard for quality in this industry. It takes a massive amount of work and patience to earn those positions, but the quality of that traffic is well worth the effort.

Regarding becoming multi-channel. It’s a conversation we’re having, and we are definitely exploring how to expand our expertise into new niches. But it won’t happen this year. 2026 is a massive year for us because of the World Cup. All our energy, investment, and product innovation are currently funneled into making sure our platforms are the best they can be for that event. We don’t want any distractions right now.

The lines between affiliate, media company, and data business are blurring. Does Media 24 see itself evolving beyond pure affiliate marketing?

I think affiliate marketing is really just a business model. It’s not the whole identity. If you look at the most successful players in our space today, they’ve already become hybrids.

We see ourselves the same way. We are a media company because we employ talented content writers and manage a social media presence. We are a data business because we have to understand user behavior at a very deep level to stay competitive.

The industry has evolved significantly. The best companies have evolved too. At Media 24, we don’t want to be put in a box. We are a digital business that uses an affiliate model to monetize. But our actual value lies in our content, our product, our data, and our ability to reach an audience better than anyone else.

Behind The Gloves has formed an official Advisory Board as it moves from event-led activations to what it describes as a scalable, long-term business and community.

The board includes Michael Brady, Founder and Chairman of Bede Gaming and Chairman of Connexus Group; Rob Fell, CEO of RiskCherry; and Katie Byers, former SVP of People and Capability at Light & Wonder.

According to the organisation, the appointments are intended to support expansion into new verticals including corporate wellness programmes, brand partnerships and future digital products.

Behind The Gloves said it plans to continue operating as a “business for good” by reinvesting a portion of profits into community initiatives and charitable causes.

Lee McFarland, Founder of Behind The Gloves, said: “The foundation of our Advisory Board reflects Behind The Gloves’ commitment to building a strong business that can expand globally and reach more people than ever.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Katie, Rob and Michael to the Board and look forward to leveraging our industry’s unmistakable energy to support good causes and deliver accessible activities for all fitness levels on a larger scale.”

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The UAE Lottery has opened its first retail shop in M40, Musaffah, Abu Dhabi, the company said on April 15, 2026.

The store offers in-person purchase of physical tickets for the Lucky Day Draw and Pick 3 games, with payments made at the location. The company said the shop is staffed to help customers understand available games and answer lottery-related questions.

The UAE Lottery also positioned the location as a branded customer-facing space with interactive displays and on-site support, aiming to complement its existing digital channels.

The company said all games are regulated by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) and that it provides responsible gaming tools and resources for participants.

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