The concept of affiliate marketing is incredibly popular in the commercial world, with an estimated 81% of brands having adopted affiliate efforts since the beginning of 2019.
This trend is particularly prominent in the online casino industry on these shores, with plenty of casino affiliate programs in place throughout the UK.
You can review some of these programs in this handy comparison table, but in this post, we’ll dive deeper into affiliate partnerships while asking how to determine the best partnership deals.
What Are Casino Affiliate Programs and How Do They Work?
In simple terms, an affiliate will work in direct partnership with an online iGaming operator, using its own platform to advertise the casino to their audience.
In return, the affiliate will be paid commission for each player that either visits the casino site, opens an account or completes an initial deposit. Players must take this action after following a unique affiliate link, while there are various payment models used as part of individual affiliate programs.
But how exactly do they work? Well, as we’ve already said, affiliates make their money by promoting online casinos to their own audience and potential players, essentially acting as middlemen between customers and iGaming operators.
With these points in mind, each affiliate operates as a small and often independent marketer, and one that seeks to drive traffic to their partner casino brand. Affiliates operate on the basis of commission, so the revenue that they generate will correlate directly with the efficacy of their marketing and how many conversions they’re able to drive online.
As for casino brands, they can work with as many affiliates as they choose, as they look to create an advanced marketing network that significantly boosts their reach.
In truth, anyone can operate as a casino affiliate. From passionate or professional gamblers to small and medium-sized businesses. The key is that they’re able to present a viable audience and value proposition to casino brands, and one that encourages them to share their revenue directly with your venture.
Each affiliate will be given a unique URL to embed on their website. This helps to determine precisely how many referrals are driven as part of the program.
Interestingly, it’s also important for aspiring affiliates to consider the nature of iGaming and ensure that the program is compatible with their own brand identity or product range.
For example, you won’t gain much traction as a casino affiliate if you’re a family or child-oriented brand, while such a partnership could prove to be highly damaging for all parties involved.
Which Casino Affiliate Programs Are Best for Your Business?
At this stage, you may be ready to launch your brand into a casino affiliate partnership, and one that will hopefully prove beneficial for everyone.
However, you’ll need to be aware of how deals are structured and the key components of any likely agreement.
For example, the single biggest factor in this regard is the agreed revenue share. This will depend on the amount of revenue forecasted and the potential reach of a particular affiliate, with the best programs capable of delivering a 50/50 split across the board.
Often, this type of program will pledge a revenue share of up to 50%, so you’ll need to review the exact terms and small print to ensure that you’re entering into a fair and transparent deal.
When it comes to the structure of your affiliate partnership, the most commonly used model is referred to as ‘Cost Per Action’ (CPA).
With this model, a fixed commission value is paid when a customer takes a specific action, whether this refers to visiting the website, registering for an account or activating the casino’s welcome bonus.
In some instances, operators will pay variable rates of commission for each of these actions on a sliding scale, creating a more complex (but rewarding) agreement that may suit your business.
If you happen to be establishing yourself as a startup casino brand (or a business that operates within a similar space), you may also want to consider pursuing ‘hybrid’ affiliate deals.
With this model, you can promote the services of other operators in exchange for an agreed commission, while simultaneously developing and marketing your own gaming products or services.
While this may be ideal in some instances, you should note that not all casinos offer this type of affiliate program, so you may find the market a little restricted in terms of choice. On a final note, you should also ensure that your affiliate program offers flexible payment schemes. Ideally, it should be compatible with PayPal, which isn’t a given with all of the partnerships currently enacted.
