Affiliate Marketing in Gambling – Top Program & Industry Insights

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Online gambling continues to be one of the fastest-growing areas in the world, and this presents a huge opportunity for many participants in the market including affiliate marketers. And to succeed in iGaming, you don’t have to play online slots, blackjack, poker or roulette at all. Instead, you can choose an affiliate program that promotes promising or well-established iGaming platforms and drive traffic to earn commissions as a reward.

Naturally, online gambling affiliate marketing is much more than just incentivizing users to click on the link leading to the platform you are promoting. To succeed in this highly competitive environment, you need to have a good understanding of the online gambling industry and use a variety of marketing tools to optimize your campaigns. So, if you want to become a successful gambling affiliate, it’s going to take a lot of time and effort before you reach a decent earning level.

In order to promote good offers and generate decent profits, you need to study affiliate casino marketing tools and choose the ones that will work for you most effectively. In addition, you need to familiarize yourself with different gambling affiliate programs to join the one that provides the most comfortable conditions for affiliates. We are here to talk about the peculiarities of the online gambling industry, as well as the best affiliate programs and marketing tools that will help you – as an online casino affiliate – to succeed in this area.

Things to Know About the Online Casinos & Gambling Industry

Despite the fact that online gambling is unregulated – or outlawed – in many countries, it is present in one form or another in literally every corner of the world. Thanks to the move to an online environment that has made online slots, card and table casino games available to just about anyone with an internet-connected device, the gambling industry is thriving today.

In order for you to understand the current state of the industry, as well as its prospects for the near future, let’s take a look at the facts and figures below:

Constantly growing market. With a CAGR of over 11%, the global online gambling industry could reach around $140 billion by 2027. According to experts, this rapid growth is fueled by factors such as the increasing number of internet users in emerging economies, the development of mobile technology and wireless data networks, and the trend towards the legalization of online casino games and sports betting in several countries.
Focus on responsible online gambling. Due to the fact that gambling can be addictive, many people – as well as governments – have had a negative attitude towards online casinos and sportsbooks. However, thanks to the trend towards responsible gambling, modern platforms offer their users advanced tools to prevent negative gambling habits. This ultimately results in a more relaxed attitude towards online gambling than was the case a few years ago.
Personalized gaming experience. Thanks to the introduction of technologies based on artificial intelligence and machine learning, operators are able to process large amounts of data to analyze user behavior and offer them customized services providing an even more exciting gaming experience.
Technological innovation and security. Technologies such as AI and cryptocurrencies have already made their way into the online gambling industry to provide even safer and more secure transactions.
Diversified gaming portfolios. In recent years, gamblers have seen many new game mechanics, bonus features, and brand-new games appealing to new users.

All of these things make online gambling a very attractive vertical for those who wish to partner with a gambling affiliate program and earn from driving traffic to iGaming platforms. In 2020-2022, the coronavirus pandemic has done its job, giving a strong impetus for further development of online entertainment spheres including online gambling. Thanks to innovations such as cryptocurrencies, blockchain and artificial intelligence, the industry is becoming even more advanced, competitive and promising in terms of profitability for all parties including affiliate marketers.

Features of Affiliate Online Casino Marketing

Having recognized the value and effectiveness of affiliate marketing, online casino and sportsbook operators continue to invest in this marketing channel. Recent research shows that around 70% of operators plan to increase their affiliate marketing budget in 2024. This demonstrates that operators are betting on affiliate marketing and more affiliate marketers will get their chance to grab a slice of the money pie.

Casino Affiliate Marketing Tools

To make your affiliate marketing efforts work as effectively as possible, you’ll use many different tools with which you can find your target audience, segment them, create unique, quality and engaging content, and track key metrics. So, here are the common marketing tools used by affiliates working in the iGaming industry:

Affiliate marketing platforms. The first thing you need to do is to find the best gambling affiliate program offering promising offers to drive traffic to in order to generate profits.
Tracking tools. To understand how well your campaigns are performing and to evaluate their performance, you will need trackers that allow you to monitor traffic, clicks, conversions and revenue generated by the users you refer.
Content creation and SEO tools. To make quality content visible to search engines, you’ll use keyword research tools, as well as software to analyze competitor strategies and optimize content to maximize organic traffic.
Email marketing automation tools. Although there are many messengers available today, email marketing is still an effective marketing tool, including for those who promote gambling products. By incentivizing potential customers to subscribe to your email newsletter, you can turn them into paying users over time.
Landing and pre-landing builders. Serving as an intermediate link between the traffic source and the iGaming platform being promoted, landing pages allow you to effectively capture leads and promote gambling offers.
Analytics tools for social media affiliate marketing. Since social media covers a huge audience where there are many people interested in online gambling, you as a gambling affiliate cannot neglect platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and even Twitter to connect with potential customers and encourage them to click on your affiliate links.

In addition to those listed above, there are also many other specific marketing tools that make life much easier for affiliates. By joining a good affiliate program, you as an affiliate will have access to many of them, so choose your casino affiliate program responsibly.

Payout Models

By partnering with the best gambling affiliate sites (affiliate programs), you will receive a portion of the online casino operator or sportsbook profits generated by the new users you bring in. Although there are many different commission payment models, you will most often deal with the following three options:

CPA (Cost per Action). Under this model, you will receive a fixed amount of commission for each targeted action performed by the user you refer to. Some affiliate programs also use the cost-per-lead model, according to which you will be rewarded for each of your new users who left their contact information.
Revenue Share. As is clear from the name, by choosing this model, you will receive a portion of the revenue (from 20 to 45% on average) brought to the platform by the new player you have referred. Keep in mind that in case the player is successful, the operator of the iGaming platform will bear the losses and share them with you.
Hybrid (CPA + Revenue Share). You can also try your hand at a mixed payout model incorporating elements of CPA and Revenue Share that can be profitable for many gambling affiliate marketers.

Before making a deal with a particular affiliate program, read the financial policy carefully to be aware of all possible pitfalls.

Finding People Interested in Online Casinos

Since the online gambling industry is booming, you won’t have much trouble finding traffic, i.e., people willing to play online casino games or bet on sports and eSports. However, to direct really quality traffic, you need to emphasize strategic targeting and creative approaches. So, here are some tips for finding gambling traffic sources:

Use content marketing tools. This means you need to produce creative and engaging content that resonates with your target audience.
Run paid ads. To capitalize on the ad networks of Google, Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms, you’ll have to use paid advertising. However, since online gambling is quite a sensitive niche, you need to make your ads consistent with local regulations and responsible gambling practices.
Engage the community of gambling enthusiasts. Utilize social media channels, forums, and influencer marketing to engage in conversations, share valuable content, and promote your gambling affiliate offers organically.

Finally, emphasize educating and informing. Offer potential customers content that teaches them about responsible gambling practices, smart bankroll management, and how to deal with potential risks. Also, be transparent about your affiliate links and offer bonuses as additional incentives to drive more quality traffic to the online casino platforms you promote.

Finding the Best Gambling Affiliate Program

As we said earlier, choosing a good affiliate program is an important step in the work of an affiliate marketer. To be in the right place, you need to look at many things, including the affiliate program’s reputation, commission payment structure, marketing tools offered, traffic sources and target audience, as well as user reviews. While some well-established affiliate programs are closing down, new players are emerging in the market, where Affter Affiliates is one promising option worth considering for anyone who wants to promote unique and potentially lucrative gambling/betting offers.

Affter Affiliates

Introduced to the world in August 2023, Affter is a young affiliate program that is backed by a team of experienced managers with 6+ years of superb iGaming experience. Affter is a coherent team of professionals that can boast of lucrative deals with both major iGaming brands, young and very promising online casinos and sportsbook platforms. Here are the key features of Affter worthy of consideration:

Works with 60+ GEOs, including emerging markets and developed economies.
Is a one-of-a-kind brand ambassador for the best and newest iGaming platforms.
In-house media buying features.
Popular commission payment models: CPA, Revenue Share and Hybrid.
Advanced marketing tools including ready-made creatives, apps, advanced analytics and S2S Postback.
Bonuses and rewards for affiliates including trips to major industry events.

With a diversified GEO portfolio, invite-only experience, flexible payment models and unique gambling/betting offers, Affter Affiliates is an affiliate program that stands out from the crowd.

Summary

Affiliate marketing is a powerful strategy used by operators of many iGaming platforms. As technology improves and investment increases, affiliate marketing is becoming a more and more effective marketing channel attracting the attention of many webmasters. By defining your niche and choosing a reliable affiliate program, you will be able to achieve significant results in driving traffic to earn good money.

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