The iGaming industry has grown incredibly, with global forecasts estimating its value to reach $97.15 billion in 2024 and $132.90 billion by 2029, at a 6.47% CAGR. This is partly driven by iGaming software providers, which supply online casinos, sports betting sites, and other such gaming platforms with the necessary platforms and technology for hosting games.
Not less important, there are what people call iGaming affiliates, who receive their commissions for driving traffic or new players to those platforms due to iGaming affiliate marketing strategies.
The market forecast is that the iGaming market of the United States alone will grow from 8.2 billion dollars in 2024 to 10.8-13.7 billion dollars by 2027. Affiliates are very important here since they account for about 16% of internet-based player acquisitions in the U.S. Global affiliate marketing is also rising.
What is an iGaming Affiliate Program?
An iGaming affiliate program is a marketing arrangement in which an iGaming platform, such as an online casino, collaborates with affiliates who promote the website and drive new players to it. These affiliates earn a commission of revenue generated based on the conversion rate they can achieve. This performance-based marketing employs various commission structures, including revenue share, CPA (cost per acquisition), or hybrid models.
Powered by the advanced facilities of sophisticated iGaming software providers, contemporary affiliate programs can be automated and further optimized to achieve effective tracking of affiliate performance, player behavior, and payouts.
How Do iGaming Affiliate Programs Work?
In an affiliate program, affiliates join via the platform’s dedicated affiliate portal, which is often powered by one specific iGaming software specialized in tracking and managing affiliates. Affiliates get unique following links that they have the ability to share as a way to promote the iGaming platform on websites, blogs, social media, email, or any other channels. For each player who clicks on the link and performs an action, say, signs up, deposits cash and places bets, the affiliate receives a certain amount of commission.
There are several widely used commission models in iGaming affiliate marketing:
- Revenue Share: In this model, affiliates receive a percentage of the gross revenue that a referred player generates. This could be a recurring payment based on the player’s activity.
- CPA – Cost per Acquisition: Once the affiliates have recruited new players with stabilization, they are paid with one foremost commission.
- Hybrid Model: Some programs use a model that combines revenue share and CPA to maximize the affiliate’s incentive.
Benefits of Casino and iGaming Affiliate Programs
1 Increased Reach:
Affiliates drive important traffic from sources that a traditional advertising campaign may overlook. Consider, for instance, an online casino partnering with an influential YouTube blogger who creates content related to gaming. In such a case, the casino benefits by including affiliate links in video descriptions or even “play now” links in active game review videos, reaching an audience that is already online gaming but might not have stumbled upon the casino in question.
2. Economical:
The affiliate programs let the iGaming platforms pay for performance only, which means the conversion of the players. Imagine an online sports betting site partnering with a network of affiliate bloggers that publish previews and betting odds for upcoming matches.
This may save the platform from expensive ad placements, as they would pay affiliates only when the users create a profile and make a bet through referral links.
3. Enhanced Brand Visibility:
They also have built-up audiences, and casinos are able to get instant access to active followers. Think about an affiliate who has created a strong social media audience and posts stories and reels on the announcement of new and popular casino games.
The more those followers see recommendations by someone they can trust, the more likely they’re going to want to look at what said casino can offer them. In this respect, better exposure for brands means, of course greater benefits for fresh or niche platforms when competition against established iGaming brands is taken into account.
4. Scalability:
The great thing about affiliate programs is that they allow one to scale quickly to meet growth. For example, a new online casino might start simply with a small cadre of affiliated influencers or bloggers who work with them. As the platform gains steam, it may grow by expanding its affiliate network for recruiting in new regions, such as Latin America or Asia, where iGaming itself is gaining in popularity.
This scalability allows the platform, without much investment in infrastructure, to break into several new markets, as affiliates act as promoters for the local area.
5. Smooth Management:
Thanks to dedicated iGaming software providers, this can be automated easily, and hundreds or thousands of affiliates can be easily managed. Imagine an online igaming platform setting up software that automates the tracking of referrals, performance reports, and payments.
If a casino partners with affiliates worldwide, the software can instantly calculate currency conversions, monitor the performance of each affiliate, and manage payouts based on a local payment method. This automated management simplifies operations and releases your internal resources without sacrificing any of the necessary tracking and analytics.
How to Set Up Affiliate Programs in iGaming?
Setting up an affiliate program in iGaming successfully involves strategy interlinked with the right tools. Here is a step-by-step guide to setting up yours:
1. Choose Reliable iGaming Software Suppliers: Choose software that can enable easy tracking, reporting, and management of your payments. Indeed, many top providers have features that allow automation to help streamline affiliate operations and provide a deeper look at affiliate performance.
2. Commission Structures: Revenue share, CPA, or hybrid model. Make sure this structure will satisfy your budget and business objectives.
3. Create Affiliate-Friendly Marketing Assets: Give affiliates a range of promotional materials such as banners, logos, and landing pages to help them promote your platform. Clearly spell out the terms and conditions. For instance, explain how affiliates are supposed to behave by detailing compliance, payment modules, and the rules governing what constitutes a valid conversion. In this way, everything is crystal clear, with no room for misconceptions of any kind.
4. Promote Your Affiliate Program: Now’s the time to promote your program and attract quality affiliates. You could advertise on iGaming forums, reach out to influencers, or even team up with affiliate networks.
5. Regular Performance Reports: Allowing affiliates to access real-time information regarding their performance through the iGaming software tools will make them more in tune. Transparent reporting builds trust, and therefore, affiliates can optimize their efforts.
Conclusion
A well-organized iGaming affiliate program can enhance the number of player acquisitions and revenues while promising earning opportunities are opened for the affiliates. Advanced iGaming software providers and structured ways of iGaming affiliate marketing let your program unlock this growth channel within the very competitive gaming industry. Be it an experienced marketer or a greenhorn, the foundation for success is all about how iGaming affiliate programs work and applying cutting-edge best practices.
