If you’ve ever stepped into the world of online gaming, you’ve most likely seen a lot of casino affiliate sites, but you may not know them as such. These online platforms promote and review various gambling websites so that users can find the best suit for their needs.
As an essential gear in the iGaming machine, casino affiliate sites offer insights and recommendations to players. And for all of their input, these platforms earn a commission.
Think of them as casino marketers – every time someone uses an affiliate link to engage with a gaming operator, these individuals or businesses earn a certain sum. It’s a win-win for everyone: affiliates profit from bringing in new players, players gain knowledge to make informed decisions, and casinos gain exposure.
However, looking below the surface, the model is more intricate. In this article, we’ll simplify all the information and give you the basics you need to know about casino affiliates.
How Do Casino Affiliate Sites Work?
Casino affiliates are essentially the bridge between a gaming operator and players. They work on a performance-based marketing model, meaning they earn a certain fee based on their ability to bring in more players.
Namely, once a casino makes a deal with an affiliate, the latter is given a referral link that tracks every time a player completes a required action or transaction. This can be anything from signing up to depositing with the operator. Once the action is completed, the affiliate earns the predetermined commission.
When talking about these commissions, we have to mention their types. The models are:
- Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) – Every time a player completes an action (such as depositing), the affiliate earns a predetermined percentage.
- Revenue Share – The affiliate earns profit based on a percentage of the overall casino earnings from the player who used its link to join.
- Fixed Fee – The casino pays a fixed amount to be marketed by the affiliate site.
- Hybrid – Merging together the CPA and revenue share types, affiliates earn profits not only when the player completes the required action but also when they keep on playing.
In any situation, payments continue until the agreement between the two sides exists.
How to Join an Affiliate Program
So, you’ve just wrapped your head around what casino affiliate sites are – but how do you set up an affiliate program?
Step 1: Get the Right Software
Think of affiliate software as your casino pit boss: it tracks, reports, automates payments, and blocks fraud. Without it, you’re gambling blind.
Step 2: Pick Your Commission Structure
Want long-term partners? Revenue share. Need quick results? CPA. Can’t decide? Hybrid gives you the best of both worlds. The better the deal, the more successful your affiliate will be.
Step 3: Choose a Platform
Decide on what you’ll use as your platform – your own website, other pages, video blogs, forum posts, or maybe you’ve got a better idea.
Step 4: Get the Winning Tools
Ask your affiliates for banners, landing pages, email templates, exclusive codes, and access to first-hand info. The more information you have, the more players you’ll bring.
Casino Affiliate Sites: Advantages & Disadvantages
Naturally, casino affiliate sites don’t just come with upsides. As with everything else, these platforms can also have several downsides. We’ll explore both in the table below.
| ✅ Advantages | ❌ Disadvantages |
| Provide insightful knowledge about a casino. | Some affiliates may promote a shady casino just to get a commission. |
| Help players pick the best promotions and trustworthy operators. | Gambling is heavily regulated, so affiliates must constantly watch changes and comply with the law, thus adjusting their content. |
| Affiliate commissions are usually high-rated, offering bigger profits. | |
| Casinos get more exposure. |
Tips on Choosing a Reliable Casino Affiliate Site
If you’re on the other side of this world as a casino player, you might need help choosing an affiliate. It makes sense as the iGaming industry is huge and there are a lot of affiliate sites, making it a very competitive field.
How can you know that you’ve chosen a good casino affiliate site? Here are a few tips that can help you make the right choice:
- Transparency – Always look for an affiliate site that discloses its ranking methodology. If it’s a review platform, check whether its reviewing criteria are stated and backed up by evidence such as screenshots.
- Credibility – Make sure the affiliate is up-to-date with everything in the industry. Check their posting dates, expertise, and overall design (outdated sites may imply disinterest).
- Responsible gambling advocacy – Trustworthy sites always include links to responsible gambling organizations such as BeGambleAware or Gambler Anonymous. On the contrary, if you see a site that not only lacks these links but also heavily pushes a casino via aggressive marketing tactics, it’s safe to say that it’s not a reliable casino affiliate.
- Licensed casino promotions – When checking a bonus from a certain casino on an affiliate, make sure it comes from a licensed operator. If the platform has stated regulatory bodies, then you know it’s a safe casino, i.e., the affiliate only works with legit operators who provide quality deals.
- Independent reviews – When choosing to work with an affiliate, watch out for player feedback. If there is a comment section, chances are the platform is reliable. Offering real players a chance to confirm or deny the review or promotion of a casino shows whether the affiliate stays true to the players-first approach.
Conclusion
As the online casino industry grows, affiliate sites present themselves as one of the best solutions to finding reliable and trustworthy operators. They provide valuable insights for players and increase casino traffic while earning a commission.
Tech improvements such as AI, live streaming, and mass social media coverage are just some ways for casino affiliates to shape and distribute their marketing tactics.
Look for transparent and credible affiliates that work only with licensed casinos and advocate for responsible gambling. That way, you can make responsible decisions and ensure safety while playing your favorite games.