One of the main challenges faced by all types of online businesses is marketing. Today, we will discuss how casino operators working in the highly competitive iGaming business influence the work of 3rd party affiliates to increase traffic. Statista estimates that worldwide online gaming will generate more than $90 billion in 2023. More and more people connect to the web daily through low-cost devices like smartphones, which shows that this figure will go even higher. So, we will delve into how sports betting and online casino websites market themselves. Today, casino affiliate marketing is one of the most lucrative ventures. Read on to learn more about this booming business and find out how you can succeed as an affiliate marketer.
Affiliate Marketing Website
One of the most important tools you’ll need to succeed as a casino affiliate is a stunning website. Since you want to become an affiliate to make decent amount of money, common sense dictates that you don’t want to spend lots of money on a website. It’s for this reason we recommend the most affordable affiliate marketing themes for WordPress. Here are some of the best casino affiliate themes you can use to build a professional affiliate marketing website.
- Responsive with Mobile Menu
- Single Click Demo Import
- Customized Call to Actions
- Added Game Description
- Numerous Custom Options
- SEO Friendly
- 100% Mobile Friendly
- Multilingual and translation ready
- Modern & Clean Design
- Sportsbook Casino Widget
- Multiple Layout Options
- Create a Featured Pages Menu
- Two Poker Review Pages
- Custom Widgets
- Featured Sites Shortcode
The Role Played By Casino Affiliates
Affiliates are precisely marketers or promoters and aren’t connected to the sports betting and casino websites directly. These 3rd part firms create sites and lead-generating apps and get some revenue in return. For example, if a customer logs into a particular site and spots an online casino that they are interested in and uses a link provided there to access the site, the affiliate will share the revenue produced at the casino if that customer converts into a real money player.
Affiliates will get a commission of 25% in most cases on blackjack, roulette, slot machines as well as other popular casino games. If the number of players who deposit real money to the casino increases, so does the revenue share they will get. On the other hand, the high-performing affiliates will get splits of 45%.
There are very few risks associated with affiliate marketing. But, that will be based on whether the contract an affiliate has joined features a negative carryover. So, if an affiliate has negative balances, all their earnings will be wiped clean and they will only get commissions the next month, which will still be based on their performance.
Types of Casino Affiliate Deals
There are different types of deals that affiliates can choose from including;
- Media: The affiliates having high generating traffic websites are allowed to negotiate media deals. Media deals involve selling banner ads in return for fixed monthly fees. For instance, the gambling news websites, which report on meetups, industry events and news such as games releases usually charge fees for in-article banner replacements or sidebar banners.
- CPA or Cost Per Acquisition: This is a model type that pays flat fees for every new real money player. For instance, an affiliate may receive $100 for every depositing player they refer to a casino. This enables affiliates to predict their monthly earnings accurately depending on the number of depositing players they bring in each month. However, this doesn’t suggest that they won’t earn commissions from the high stake players.
- Revenue share: Among all the payment models that we have listed above, revenue share is the most profitable. With this model, affiliates can expect to get an amount ranging from 20 to 45% based on the number of depositing players they refer to the site every month. Some large site portals claim to send more than 1,000 real money players to their partner sites each month.
Affiliates are also free to negotiate mixed deals through their account managers. Some go for a combination between revenue share and CPA.
Which Are The Most Profitable Markets?
One of the most profitable markets for the iGaming business is the UK. This market is well regulated and offers many legal websites that are operated professionally. The UK iGaming industry is worth billions every year.
But, few US states have also legalized casino gaming recently. These include Pennsylvania, Delaware, Michigan, and New Jersey. As more states legalize online gambling, the US market will be the most profitable market within the coming ten years.
Other profitable markets include Australia, South Africa, India, and Canada for sports betting. Affiliates mainly focus on those markets.
Biggest Online Gaming Markets In Europe
When it comes to gambling services, currently there aren’t certain EU regulations. European nations plan their gambling services the way they want and this has been happening for a very long time. But, they are required to follow the rules set by the European Union Court of Justice. Also, the ability to provide services or develop a business, especially in another European nation is key in this case.
Many European nations permit some forms of gaming to be provided on the web. While some governments allow all games types, others allow only specific types including casino games, poker, or betting. Monopolistic regimes for iGaming services have been created in several European nations, though there appears to be fading out gradually as Hungary is set to allow private gambling businesses to get a license there. Below we are going to take a closer look at the Top European gaming markets and how they have grown over the years.
United Kingdom
The UK was among the first European countries to launch remote gaming licenses by the UKGC in 2005. The aim behind that was to combat foreign gaming websites, which didn’t pay their taxes in the countries that they offered services. From that time, it has grown into the biggest regulated gambling market in Europe with many casino websites and bookies. The sector generated a Gross Gambling Yield of around $5.89 billion based on a report created in September 2020.
The increased usage of smartphones and the Internet is driving the iGaming sector in the UK. Also, partnerships between private companies as well as 3rd party software developers to develop a user-friendly gambling UI for the players is resulting in the expansion of the industry. In addition to that, the introduction of cost-friendly mobile apps has also made it easier for players to access their favorite casino websites from any location provided there is an availability of Internet connection.
Also, the spread of the pandemic in 2020 restricted a good number of UK residents to their homes. This led to a substantial shift towards several paid and free recreational activities like online gaming.
Italy
Italy’s Gross Gaming Revenue for 2021 increased in April at around $161 million. Gaming is the longest tradition in Italy, which stretches back to the Roman period. So, this shouldn’t come as surprise by Italians who love to gamble on casino games and sports.
However, the government of Italy had advertised a ban on gambling in 2018, which was called the Dignity Decree. This was lobbed heavily by sports teams and gambling companies, mostly football because a lot of money comes from such partnerships.
The Italian gaming sector got $110 billion in 2019, which was money generated by casino players, poker contests, and poker cash.
Germany
In 2019, the overall gaming income was around €14.3 billion. German gambling income is estimated to be more than 3.3 billion euros. At the beginning of 2020, Germany’s heads of state held a meeting and adopted gaming laws to allow both online poker and gaming sites.
The new rules were in effect in July of 2021. Online casino businesses might now offer sports betting, slot games, and poker to German players under the new restrictions. But, some regions in the country offer different types of games because each runs under different rules.
Germany could be the biggest European market with a population of more than eighty million people, though the current gaming rules are harsh than that of the UK and Italy.
Spain
The overall gambling income in Spain in 2019 was $8.9 billion. According to reports, gamers spend over 1.9 billion euros every year at Codere-owned companies alone. This equates to $480 for every player or fifteen percent of Spain’s net family income.
Spanish players bet on almost anything in Spain from video slots to bingo, horse racing, football, and other online casino games. Nevertheless, the most popular type of gambling in Spain is the official national lottery.
The Spanish betting sphere was irrevocably adjusted back in 2011 when a Spanish Gambling Act was established that allowed the sports betting industry online.
The government of Spain, similar to that if Italy banned any advertisement on gambling.
France
The overall gambling revenue for France was estimated at $12.2 billion in 2019 and it has increased over the past few years. Contrary to other countries in Europe, France is a slightly gambling-friendly country. All types of gambling are regulated and deemed legal in this country.
Land-based gaming companies offer legalized horse racing betting, bookies, slot games, and poker games. Online operators, apart from casino games are allowed to offer these gaming activities. France has several online and land-based gambling establishments.
PMU and FDJ are the 2 gaming monopolies owned by the government of France and are the 2 of the biggest gaming companies in France. FDJ offers sports betting, bingo and lotto while PMU provides horse racing.
Affiliate marketing for newbies
At this point, it’s clear that you already know the meaning of casino affiliate marketing. It’s common for an aspiring entrepreneur to begin searching for more clarity. As a matter of fact, there is normally a wide list of questions, which you would want to be answered before you begin your affiliate marketing career. As a result, we will offer answers to some of the most asked questions to help you get started.
Is Casino Affiliate Marketing Still Viable?
One of the major concerns with the new beginners is perhaps the most relevant. Most newbies are normally eager to know if there is more space for an affiliate to make it in the world. However, this depends on what you want to be selling as an affiliate.
Without a doubt, over the past decade, casino affiliate marketing has increased in popularity. If you want to know how true that statement is, just research on Google Trends.
In the real world, this trend might seem discouraging. To the newbies, affiliate marketing might be an uphill climb. Just like other digital marketing markets, as an affiliate, you should also change with time. Also, websites such as YouTube and Instagram have created a bigger pool of influencers for companies to pick from because there are many content creators having ready audiences.
Affiliate marketing is a viable choice but for the affiliates who are willing to work harder to settle for what works. It might take error and trial, though after honing your approach, you can make good money.
Is It Profitable For Beginners?
By looking at the example that we have provided above, you might think that you will never make it. But, when you read the facts, you might change your mind.
According to recent studies, casino affiliate marketing is one of the best ways for brands to generate money. So, that means that beginners have the potential to make it if their approach the right system.
Also, affiliate marketing has proved to be a good source of income. Although there is a lot of effort required before you can make a sale, once you develop a good system, you will get profits easily.
For example, let’s say you want to use paid advertisements to sell products. Once you create an ad, come up with a budget and do some adjustments. Have your ad run in the background, which will direct customers to the merchant’s website. You can also check out our guide on how to make money as a casino affiliate.
But, being productive needs more than bringing leads to a site and making them buy. For example, if you want to make good money, you have to market a product that provides a good commission rate. If this isn’t the case, you will have to pay more money for advertisements. But still, even when the commissions are high, it doesn’t mean you are assured of high profits. The niche, which you are selling, need to have high demands for your products to sell. Also, you need to convince people to click on the ads more often. You require all those things we have mentioned above for you to become profitable. Conduct serious research on a specific brand so that you don’t regret it later. Partnering with an unreliable brand could make you lose your money and discourage you from ever becoming a gambling affiliate.