Full Tilt Poker’s (Fake) Facebook Wall LETTER FROM 8 Our editorial team has a little fun imagining what Full Tilt Poker’s Facebook page would look like in the THE DIRECTOR “face” of their refusal so far to pay American players the money they owe them. his issue, our 18th, will make its first appearance T October 3-6 at the G2E iGaming Congress and iGaming Zone at the Las Vegas Sands Expo & Convention SEO Psychology for Affiliates Center. We’ll be there, and we hope that you’ll be there, too. And if you are, be sure to come to the GPWA cocktail 12 Paul Reilly explains why affiliates must overcome party on October 4 in the Stratosphere Tower! psychological barriers if they want to perform SEO effectively. One bit of advice: observe the masses In our cover story, Lorien Pilling takes a hard look at and do the opposite. what governments around the world are doing to tax and regulate iGaming. It’s not the most glamorous topic, he tells us, but it is the most important by far – and Cover Story: Playing by Taxing Rules affiliates need to keep current as proposed regulatory 26 Lorien Pilling believes that affiliates must decide for changes continue to proliferate. themselves which regulatory models will provide them with the best chances for success as governments GPWA Also in this issue: the PPA’s John Pappas and iMEGA’s around the world introduce new gambling legislation in Joe Brennan argue the pros and cons of federal vs. state their quest for additional revenue sources. Executive Director: regulation of iGaming in the U.S.; I. Nelson Rose tries Michael Corfman to make sense of the failure thus far to pass Internet Federal or State? – The Great U.S. Marketing Director: gaming legislation in California; Vin Narayanan offers 49 iGaming Regulation Debate Andrea Mullaney some biting commentary on why there’s more to iMEGA’s Joe Brennan makes the case for state Program Manager: regulation than tax policy; Paul Reilly (with a little help Steven Corfman regulation and the PPA’s John Pappas explains from William Shakespeare) encourages affiliates to cast why he favors legislation at the federal level. Forum Moderator: aside their SEO fears and start reaping SEO benefits; our Anthony Telesca editorial team has some Facebook fun at Full Tilt Poker’s Membership Manager: expense; Sinead Lambert offers up some timely tips Nancy Troy for sportsbook affiliates as the football (soccer) season

GPWA Times Magazine starts; and Jeremy Enke explains why poker affiliates, post Black Friday, must rebuild their online portfolio Managing Editor: through strategic diversification, either into completely Vin Narayanan different niches or within the online poker market. ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Senior Editor: 20 The Drought Is Over! Football Is Back! by Sinead Lambert Aaron Todd 24 Five Diversification Strategies for Poker Affiliates Post Associate Editor: And I hope you’ll read this issue’s affiliate manager Black Friday, by Jeremy Enke Dan Igo interview, five affiliate interviews, a lively discussion Copy Chief: on mobile gaming taken from the GPWA forums, and 30 Regulators! Mount Up! by Vin Narayanan Bill Riley the Departments – the latest industry news, numbers, 54 Gambling and the Law: California’s Unnecessary Delay, Designer: notable quotes, an updated list of GPWA sponsors, the by I. Nelson Rose George Choi cartoon caption contest, the Wall of Shame, and our calendar of upcoming industry events. Advertising DEPARTMENTS To advertise in the GPWA Finally, I want to remind you to make sure you’re on 4 Webmaster News Times, please e-mail: our subscriber list. If you’re not getting the GPWA Times [email protected] 6 By the Numbers Magazine in the mail, stop whatever you’re doing and 7 Cartoon Caption Contest Subscriptions visit gpwa.org/magazine to start your free subscription. 16 From the GPWA Forums For a FREE subscription to Sincerely, the GPWA Times Magazine, 25 Event Calendar visit: gpwatimes.com 34 Affiliate Interview Series 56 Affiliate Manager Interview Michael A. Corfman 60 GPWA Sponsors GPWA Executive Director 64 APCW’s Wall of Shame

ISSN 1941-9872

WEBMASTER NEWS 

Quotables Betsson reaches deal with Arsenal Football Club

“We are really excited about our TOCKHOLM, Sweden — Betsson brand who will be delivering this inno- Italian venture. The combination S Business Solutions has signed a vative new venture. Through designing of a high passion for sports and three-year B2B contract with one of a range of gaming products specifically gaming makes Italy one of the the most prestigious football clubs in for Arsenal fans, we intend to offer our most important markets in our the world, Arsenal Football Club (“the supporters a valuable and unique expe- international expansion plans.” Gunners”). Betsson becomes the club’s rience that we hope will have no rival to – Henry Birch, CEO of William Hill Online, on the Official Betting Partner, providing bet- our supporters,” says Vinai Venkatesham, company’s new Italian site ting services both online under www. Arsenal’s Head of Global Partnerships. gunnersgaming.com and in-stadia for “Full Tilt Poker apologizes for its Arsenal fans through a newly created “Signing these kinds of B2B deals with lack of communication with its brand, GunnersGaming by Betsson. a football club like Arsenal shows what customers over the last month and Arsenal has a global fanbase and boasts a technically attractive partner Betsson a half, but it has been grappling the highest-paid membership in world is today. This is also a good opportunity with unexpected and complex football, with just under 200,000 mem- for Betsson to gain a part of the regulat- legal and financial issues arising bers last season alone. ed U.K. market,” says Betsson CEO and from Black Friday and President Magnus Silfverberg. its aftermath.” Betsson will provide and operate a com- – Official Full Tilt Poker statement, dated August 22 plete gaming solution including Betsson Casino, Betsson Sportsbook & Betting “I do believe there’s a will in Exchange and Betsson Poker. With a clear Congress to correct this. There’s Arsenal-branded solution and exclusive a sense of inevitability that this Arsenal-specific prizes Betsson will de- ought to be something people liver a unique offering. The solution will should do and that we ought be launched immediately. to clean up the regulatory and policing environment for it and “We are delighted to be welcoming that’s what we’re seeking.” Betsson on board as an Official Partner – Caesars Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman on of the Club, an experienced and trusted regulated online poker in the U.S.

“The term ‘unlawful Internet gambling’ does not include placing, receiving, or otherwise transmitting a bet or wager where...the bet or wager is initiated and received or otherwise made exclusively within a single State.” – N.J. Senator Raymond J. Lesniak, in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder

“After 3 months off of online poker, I’d forgotten about downswings. Oh well. Still happy to be playing. I love the game. ” – Tweet by American online poker pro Phil Galfond, who moved to Canada to continue to play “We also believe a significant “Americans should be able to play amount of progress has been made poker online in the privacy of their “In order to ensure the brand’s on intrastate Internet gaming to homes knowing that the games expansion is not affected by the point where, absent unforeseen are safe and fair. FairPlayUSA is negative perceptions, both in the circumstances, we fully expect committed to ensuring a strict U.K. and elsewhere in emerging an objective proposal will be regulatory framework for online markets such as Asia, where developed during the interim in poker, and I am pleased to be part Bodog88 is already successful, time for consideration when the of its advisory board.” a decision has been made to Legislature reconvenes – Poker professional Mike Sexton withdraw the Bodog brand from the in 2012.” U.S. market at the end of 2011.” – California State Sen. Darrell Steinberg – Official statement from the Bodog brand

Webmaster News WEBMASTER NEWS 

Bodog to leave U.S. market at end of year

By Dan Igo

odog has announced it will no longer B accept bets from American custom- ers when its current licensing agreement with Morris Mohawk Gaming expires at the end of this year.

Bodog was granted a remote and non- “As highlighted last week, Bodog U.K.’s will remain safe and they will have the remote gambling license by the U.K. CEO, Patrik Selin, believes the trust and option to switch to a new MMGG brand Gambling Commission in July. credibility that having a U.K. license should they wish but MMGG confirms brings to the brand will benefit custom- it’s business as usual. U.S. residents won’t be allowed to access ers and allow him to attract the best tal- Bodog.eu or any Bodog-branded websites ent in the industry to work with him. “This decision presents a fresh direction after December 31. Bodog did say Morris for the Bodogbrand.com as it looks to Mohawk Gaming will launch its own “However, in order to ensure the brand’s create a new chapter in its history. The brand next year, which will be licensed expansion is not affected by negative per- move will enable the Bodog brand to by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. ceptions, both in the U.K. and elsewhere continue its growth and expansion and in emerging markets such as Asia, where maintain its position as the world’s larg- The company released the following Bodog88 is already successful, a decision est gaming brand.” statement on CalvinArye.com to ex- has been made to withdraw the Bodog plain the move: brand from the U.S. market at the end Bodog Poker was one of the few rooms of 2011. As a result, the Morris Mohawk to continue to take American bets fol- “Following recent news that Bodog Gaming Group’s (MMGG) brand licens- lowing the April 15 indictments of the U.K. has been granted a gam- ing agreement will be allowed to expire founders of PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker bling license by the U.K. Gambling on 31 December, following which U.S. and Absolute Poker. According to Commission, we are pleased to an- residents will no longer be able to access PokerScout, Bodog Poker ranks 13th in nounce further developments to the bodog.eu or any other Bodog-branded traffic, and ranks second among rooms Bodog brand going forward. website. We understand that MMGG that accept American players. will launch under its own brand in 2012, licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. All Bodog.eu clients’ funds

Itai Zak appointed as new CEO of Sports Betting Tech

IBRALTAR — Sports Betting Tech, G a leading provider of interactive sports betting solutions, has announced the appointment of Itai Zak as its new chief executive officer. The appointment is part of a strategic board decision trig- gered by the company’s growth and its entrance into a number of new ventures and opportunities in both traditional “.COM” and regulated markets. aged services solutions for regulated says. “There is a strong demand for the eGaming markets. highly attractive and advanced sports Zak will join Sports Betting Tech in betting solutions the company provides September and will oversee the compa- Zak also served as an executive VP and and I’m looking forward to ensuring we ny’s day-to-day operation, technology general manager of Spin3, a division of continue to advance and grow in what and products strategy and the develop- Spiral Solutions and the exclusive pro- is undoubtedly a dynamic and competi- ment of its B2B business components. vider of mobile gaming solutions to tive marketplace.” Microgaming, a leading developer of on- Prior to joining Sports Betting Tech, Zak line gaming solutions. served as an executive VP of eGaming products at Spiral Solutions, a company “I am absolutely delighted to be joining which provides a complete turnkey man- the team at Sports Betting Tech,” Zak

Webmaster News BY THE NUMBERS 

25.2 million

Number of Germans who visited online gaming sites in June, according to comScore.

2 years 7 Length of an agreement Number of squads in the between the Mansion 20-team English Premier Group and EPL squad $9 million League that are sponsored Manchester City F.C. by gambling companies. How much the D.C. whereby Mansion will be Lottery expects to raise the team’s official betting annually by offering partner. online casino games. $3 million

Outside funding raised by U.S. Digital Gaming, $68,420 a multimillion-dollar venture founded by former Amount collected by a casino executive Richard 1,153 poker player in New Bronson. £250,000 Zealand who won the The number of visits to 65 billionth hand on The amount paid by Full PKR.com on its launch PokerStars. Tilt Poker in overdue date, August 17, 2006. licensing fees to the Alderney Gambling €1,400 Control Commission. 50,512 Amount raised by the The number of visits per Fairway Charity Golf day to PKR.com five years €500 million Open for the Children First later. Foundation in Dublin. Estimated price for an online gambling license in Greece, according to the Financial Times. $250,000 23 percent How much money Mike Matusow says he has tied Decline of online poker up in Full Tilt Poker. $277,000 R320 million traffic (excluding Italy) in the past year, according The amount won by a The amount, in South to PokerScout. 80% player on the Diamond African Rand, generated through online gambling Number of Bingo searches Valley slot machine’s in 2009 in South Africa, 19 percent that resulted in a visit to a progressive jackpot at according to eGaming website, according to PC bet365 Casino. Jump in iPoker Network Review Magazine. Magazine. traffic in the last year.

By the Numbers CAPTION CONTEST 

This Issue’s Cartoon

My goodness. Things were tense before (see cartoon below), but in the latest episode of our favorite affiliate’s whirlwind romance, it appears that “meeting Mom and Dad” was an unmitigated disaster, with Dad’s reaction to his daughter’s true love indicating that perhaps he wasn’t entirely captivated by the young man’s charms – or by his prospects. Is there still hope for our hero? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, please tell us what’s going on here.

Go to the forums at gpwa.org and submit your caption for this cartoon. We’ll take a look at all the entries and pick the one we think is the funniest. The winner will be announced in our next issue and will receive a free copy of the iGaming Business Directory.

Drawings by Ben Riley, www.ben-riley.com

Last Issue’s Cartoon

The Winner is . . .

GPWA Girl: “These are my terms – You must send me at least one bunch of flowers every three months, I will deduct any ‘bonuses’ I give you from your paycheck and I may end the relationship at any time I see fit if you aren’t ‘performing.’”

GPWA Guy: “I love it when you talk dirty.” — pokerbanter

Congratulations to “pokerbanter,” who wins a free iGaming Business Directory. A magic moment? Probably not. Smoking in bed? Probably not a good thing. Your assignment was to And the runners up . . . put words in their mouths. And you did a bang-up job! Thanks to one “Yes, I assure you that WAS a long-tailed “So . . . we have a great conversion and all. keyword!!” – pompeyrayuk ratio – why don’t we go for an exclusive partnership?” “You didn’t tell me you were a Mac user. . . “Um . . . that’s great, but I’m really I feel so dirty.” – AWH-Gemma not looking at lifetime value here.” – bonusbetting “Release stress and then visit the GPWA forum? Doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.” – pumacat

Caption Contest  

E K A Full Tilt Poker’s F Wall

Full Tilt Poker Just four days left to Take 2! Earn 5 FTP playing two ring games or Rush Poker every day during the promotion to earn free money for your bankroll! April 14 · Like

DOJ posted a photo on Full Tilt Poker’s wall Take 2? Take that!

61,546

April 15 · Like · Comment · Share

PartyPoker and Jon Kyl like this.

Howard Lederer Uh oh.

Full Tilt Poker’s (Fake) Facebook Wall  

The Micros So . . . that sponsorship deal . . . when can we expect the next check?

Fertitta Brothers Yeah, don’t worry about coming to that meeting we scheduled for next week.

Andy Bloch changed his profession from poker player to blackjack player.

Full Tilt Poker We will have a statement on when and how American players will receive their funds in the coming days. For our non-American players, why not jump into a game on the Rush Poker tables? April 20 · Like Tom Dwan This stinks . . . but I’m certain that Americans are going to be paid. I’ll even put up $1 million of my own money that I’ll pay out to Americans if they don’t get paid.

Full Tilt Poker We will have a statement on when and how American players will receive their funds in the coming days. For our non-American players, why not jump into a game on the Rush Poker 40,025 tables? April 30 · Like

Alderney Gambling Control Commission You guys have the money to pay players back — right? April 30 · Like Tom Dwan This stinks . . . but I’m certain that Americans are going to be paid. I’ll even put up $1 million of my own money that I’ll pay out to Americans if they don’t get paid.

Phil Ivey and Full Tilt Poker are no longer in a relationship. June 1 · Like Phil Ivey I am deeply disappointed and embarrassed that Full Tilt players have not been paid money they are owed. Therefore I’m not playing in the World Series of Poker this year. Phil Hellmuth Sweet! Bonus year to try to pad my lead on you on the all-time WSOP bracelet list! Did you know that I have won 11 WSOP bracelets? That’s the most anyone has ever won!

Norman Chad I’m still picking Ivey to win the WSOP Main Event. He’s that good.

Michele Clayborne Hey Phil, how about paying back that $10 million you owe us, asshole?

Jack Binion and Full Tilt Poker are now friends. June 10 · Like

More Posts

Full Tilt Poker’s (Fake) Facebook Wall 10 11

Full Tilt Poker We will have a statement on when and how American players will receive their funds in the coming days. We realize that there have been some unfortunate delays in payment for our non-American players as a result of the events of April 15. We apologize for those delays and will pay our players as quickly as we can. In the meantime, why not jump into a game on the Rush Poker tables? June 15 · Like

Tom Dwan Guys, don’t leave me hanging. $1 million is a lot of money.

Chris Ferguson Headed to the barber shop. Nobody will recognize me with short hair.

Alderney Gambling Control Commission Due to a lack of payment of player funds, we have suspended Full Tilt Poker’s license. We will hold a public hearing on the Full Tilt situation on July 26. June 29 · Like

Howard Lederer If you ever want that £250,000 in licensing fees we owe you, I’d reconsider whether or not you want to make that meeting public.

2,932 Full Tilt Poker The system is currently down for maintenance. Please check back soon! June 29 · Like

Caesars Interactive Entertainment likes this.

DOJ Maintenance my ass! Oh boy, this is getting good.

Kahnawake Gaming Commission So . . . you guys wanna think about renewing your secondary license here?

Jack Binion I’m not touching this company with a 10-foot pole.

Poker Players Alliance We are doing everything we can to advocate for the return of player funds.

Bill Frist Hey PPA, remember when you said that the UIGEA wouldn’t be effective? Tell me how my ass tastes . . .

Howard Lederer is in Tijuana with Chris Ferguson June 30 · Like

Howard Lederer Glad I built those tunnels underneath my $2.9 million Las Vegas mansion! Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker are now friends. Phil Ivey and Full Tilt Poker are in a relationship and it’s complicated. July 1 · Like

Alleged European Investors So you guys are finally going to listen to him, then?

Full Tilt Poker’s (Fake) Facebook Wall 10 11

Alderney Gambling Control Commission We decided to adjourn the hearing as it is in the best interests of FTP’s customers, allowing FTP licensees to further pursue advanced commercial negotiations which could lead to a more beneficial outcome for player interests. July 27 · Like

Howard Lederer Nice hand, well played.

Alderney Gambling Control Commission Got that £250K – thanks, HL!

Harry Demetriou WHAT ABOUT THE INTERESTS OF THE PLAYERS? WHY ARE YOU PROTECTING THIS CORRUPT COMPANY?

Full Tilt Poker The exclusivity period of our negotiations has ended, and we are now discussing a deal with other potential investors. We apologize for our lack of communication, but we look forward to being able to get you back on the Rush Poker tables as soon as possible. Oh yeah, and hopefully we’ll find a way to get you your money back, too. August 22 · Like

Alleged European Investors You’re delaying the inevitable. Oh yeah, we’re 172 dropping our offer by 15 percent, and Ray Bitar needs to go.

Ray Bitar Haters gonna hate.

Tom Dwan Wow, I can’t believe I said I’d pay out $1 million of my own money . . .

Full Tilt Poker’s (Fake) Facebook Wall 13 13 SEO Psychology for Affiliates

By Paul Reilly When we follow with SEO in mind, many First, you care about your own success of us fall into the trap of believing rumors, more than any agency or consultant would t’s no secret that iGaming SEO has a hearsay and even pure disinformation. care. Second, SEO really isn’t rocket sci- I certain perception, particularly among ence. Third, by following a few simple those who operate outside the iGam- rules, SEO can be performed simply, step- ing sector. SEO within iGaming is often Observe the masses by-step, with great results – and far more considered one of the three most com- and do the opposite cost effectively than when outsourced. petitive markets. These three markets are often referred to as PPC (Pills, Porn and Having finally made the jump from pure Everything you need to know on how Casino, not to be confused with Pay Per SEO consultant to SEO consultant-affili- to succeed in iGaming SEO is freely Click). The very fact that SEOs have given ate, the need to balance PR with secrecy is available, including off-the-shelf tools, these three notoriously tough markets an even more important. There’s nothing for links, free open-source content man- acronym has served to reinforce the psy- me to gain in encouraging another 10-20 agement systems and great value con- chological barrier to entry. affiliates to become my direct competitors. tent writers. The barrier to entry has never been lower. In order to compete in the iGaming mar- It’s actually not in my ket, affiliates must overcome this psycho- best interest to be writ- logical barrier, which I often see influenc- ing this article. This ing the strategic decision-making process same dynamic actually of affiliates, not to mention the occasional encourages disinforma- chief marketing officer (CMO) within ma- tion and lies designed “SEO can be jor operators. After all, if CMOs at major to protect affiliates’ ex- operators are getting nervous and it’s not isting revenue streams. performed simply, even their own money, small affiliates will Furthermore, when one be terrified by the prospect of conquering applies this dynamic in Google’s natural results. the context of SEO, where step-by-step, with ignorance, rumors, gos- My favorite quote to sum up this dynamic sip, hearsay and false great results – was penned by Shakespeare himself: truths are prolific, what we end up with is often Our doubts are traitors, diluted to the point of and far more cost And make us lose the good we oft might win, pure fiction. By fearing to attempt. effectively than – Measure for Measure, Act I, Scene 4 An Internet marketing pioneer and good friend This widespread fear to attempt is driven and mentor of mine once when outsourced.” partly by perception and partly by the said, “If you see a guru fees quoted by SEO agencies, which com- in the road, turn and run pounds this perception. Placement of one the other way.” keyword can cost in excess of £15K per month with no guarantee of results. There are no gurus, only seekers of Most of the successful affiliates I speak the truth. with are initially focused on getting a The result is that fear prevents affiliates single-page site up and getting a few links from attempting or steers them toward Rather than hang on to the words of a than building perfect content-rich sites. the long tail, and since so many affiliates self-proclaimed guru, you should test, Many hosting platforms support rapid are seeking their fortune in the long tail measure, follow your own instincts and installation of free open-source content the competition is significantly higher. do what makes sense to you. I know management systems. As such you can There is very little action in the long tail, self-proclaimed gurus who have liter- get indexable content online in minutes. particularly in casino, poker and bingo. ally destroyed affiliate businesses and Long-tail battles will, at best, lead to a billed hundreds of thousands of pounds Developing quickly and using a dupli- Pyrrhic victory. for the privilege. cable platform or template will enable you to roll out sites cost effectively. This Affiliates, just like everyone else, are pre- So if a so-called guru can ruin a site, what in turn will enable you to mitigate risk dictable in large numbers. Naturally there makes you think you’re capable of suc- by running several sites and having mul- are exceptions, leaders and pioneers (you ceeding in this notoriously competitive tiple horses in the race, thus spreading know who you are). The rest of us follow. market? the risk.

SEO Psychology for Affiliates 14

Getting over the barrier There are several SEO benefits in having multiple sites: Making the decision If you’re starting out but still procrastinat- 1. You become your own link network Again I should reiterate that none of this has ing, the process is simple and you should to be perfect; it can be perfected later. I re- do this today. 2. You’re spreading the risk member a conversation with the founder of 3. Mitigated risk enables aggressive a large tour operator. I found it refreshing to 1. Pick a product strategies learn that he’d started out with a one-page site focusing on one phrase, “Amsterdam 2. Choose a territory There are disadvantages, too – for in- Hotels.” By the time the site was ranking, 3. Do some keyword research stance, if you’re building a brand or com- it didn’t even have a single hotel listed, let munity or your model is to be a publisher alone the functionality to book. He skipped 4. Decide on your target keywords of news. Naturally this will not scale. the affiliate process completely, began con- 5. Buy a domain tracting hotels, launched an affiliate net- If your approach is to be a thin affiliate work operating in 11 languages and was 6. Get hosting – but thick enough to earn the favor of the then bought out for a stack of cash. 7. Install WordPress or Drupal Google Gods – then by targeting transac- tional keywords, which drive depositing The point I’m making is, don’t let your 8. Write or commission 200 words of players, you will be able to scale and de- quest for perfection get in the way of prog- content liver the SEO benefits I noted above. ress. Pontificating and theorizing will not 9. Get some backlinks build traffic, but action will. It’s not an approach I’d recommend for 10.. Done! (Mail me when you’ve done it; sports, but for casino, bingo and to some Focus on profit-producing activities first. we may be able to share some links!) degree poker, it’s a workable plan and Publishing content and getting links are indeed it’s how I personally roll as an the two most important activities required. Cost: under $100 affiliate. Once your site’s content is indexed, then Time taken: less than half a day link acquisition becomes the only remain- I guess you could interpret this as a black ing profit-producing daily activity. Note: It doesn’t have to be perfect now. hat strategy of burn and churn; however, It just needs to be live and accessible to I’m actually talking about a sustainable Do it! search engine spiders. In a couple of moderate-risk approach. You could, how- weeks you’ll be able to assess where your ever, paint this approach with any shade site ranks in Google, particularly if you’ve of grey or indeed black. Remember . . . picked a less competitive territory and bought a keyword-rich domain. The properties which don’t make it to • Don’t let your quest for perfection get in page one and don’t drive players can the way of progress. As I mentioned, the purpose of this sec- also be monetized. Just add news or an tion is to demonstrate how simple the ini- articles section and sell links embedded • If you see a guru in the road, turn and tial process for starting a brand-new site within content supplied by link buyers. run the other way. actually is and reduce the psychological Use the money you earn from selling • Become your own link network. barrier to entry. Design, usability, infor- links to buy links to your link network mation architecture, on-page SEO and and your money sites. If you have any specific questions e-mail me link building can all come later. directly at [email protected] or Get yourself to the affiliate conferences; follow me on Twitter @paulreilly or stalk If you’re already established and have make lots of friends and link exchange me on foursquare at: some reasonable rankings, then the your way to riches! With multiple sites foursquare.com/user/paulreilly chances are that you just need backlinks. you’ll have plenty of bargaining opportu- nities, which will ultimately power your money sites(s) and juice up your network. Risk mitigation and • The key to this is structuring the network, safety in numbers which is a topic for another time. • Paul Reilly has worked in Search Let’s say you’re an established affiliate, Marketing for over 13 If you plan to run sites in emerging mar- years and has earned you’re driving great players and you’ve al- kets or foreign territories, then work out multiple awards and ready secured great rankings in Google. joint ventures with hungry, smart SEOs honors. Today Paul in those territories. They will make the is regarded as one Having a second or third or fourth site is whole plan totally scalable and add amaz- of the U.K.’s most influential SEOs, wise. You spread the risk across multiple ing value to your business. Local knowl- and is the first port of call for most sites. What would you prefer, one site gen- edge is priceless. iGaming brands. He is the founder erating £1,000 a day or a thousand zero- of mediaskunkworks.com, a new- maintenance sites generating £1 a day? generation service provider which has built its reputation on innovation and optimized methodologies which dissect the traditional agency model, replicating success, building world- class, in-house teams and providing outsourced think-tank and creative SEO Psychology for Affiliates problem-solving services. 14 FROM THE GPWA FORUMS 17

ne thing you won’t find often find on the GPWA forums when it comes to predictions Oabout the future is consensus. But you will find a spirited debate! In this thread from mid- July, opposing views on the future success of mobile gaming are explored, with plenty of good arguments from affiliates who argue both sides of the issue. Who’s right? Only time will tell ... but some of these affiliates will be looking to claim bragging rights five years from now!

20 July 2011 6:42 am #1 I also cannot imagine serious poker players preferring the small screen and lack of info of the mobile platform ahead of their PC/laptop when it comes to making money on Dean_Leyland the felt. And I really do not see the experience of mobile casino being superior to the PC experience either. I wanted to get everyone’s views on this. Where do you see our industry in 3, 5 or even 10 years time? If you are gambling cash via your mobile on a regular basis - then you probably need a visit to Gambling To add my two pence (cents for you Americans), I see Anonymous. the industry a little less crowded than it is right now. Or at least, that’s what I am hoping for. Right now there are so many new programmes launching that it is difficult 20 July 2011 7:08 am #3 for most to keep up - certainly me. I think to use an old cliché, the cream will rise to the top and the best Dean_Leyland programmes will display their longevity in this industry by seeing off the many rogue operators out there. With the massive increase in use of tablets, mobile isn’t just small screens and casual betting. iPad/Android tablet I also think mobile will have a big say in how things apps are a real alternative to betting online. It’s only a pan out. Right now, the buzzword is most definitely matter of time before serious poker, casino and bingo mobile. Everyone is scrapping to [get] their iPhone, apps are being released for these devices. iPad and Android apps out there but I don’t really see the marketing and promotion of these apps being fully Oh and believe me, serious money is coming into developed yet. The next few years will see mobile sportsbetting companies via mobile betting. marketing strategies put in place and evolved over time.

Those are my humble opinions, rightly or wrongly. What 20 July 2011 7:02 am #4 are yours? TheGooner

I won’t believe you . . . well . . . not unless of course you 20 July 2011 7:02 am #2 can point me to some reliable metrics.

TheGooner

Mobile? Really? Quote some stats and a reliable source for them, please, Mr. Leyland . . . I’m always keen to read the facts. . . . I guess that there is a time and a place for a good mobile application - but I’m not sure whether gambling for 20 July 2011 12:59 pm #5 money is REALLY it. I see a lot of hype - a lot of start-ups - but little REAL traction in the mobile gambling space. Universal4 Perhaps you could make a case for an impromptu sports bet from fans actually at the game - but surely that casual I tend to agree with both schools of thought on this. . . . market is only a very small percentage of the overall I too think that most casino apps have fallen quite short betting take on the event. and just can’t see the mass market getting excited about gambling a lot on a phone.

From the GPWA forums 17

I can see where a sports bettor would use their phone 20 July 2011 2:06 pm #9 to check the latest lines or place a bet on an upcoming game, but I personally think they would do so mainly Alexpratt because it was more convenient than getting their laptop out of their briefcase or because they need to get the bet placed before they have a chance or the time to sit down Couple of interesting stats I saw lately: at their home systems. Just over 40% of Facebook traffic is now mobile so if your I do think that this trend will continue to change more as brand has a presence in fb and they are clicking through the proliferation of pads increases. you better make sure your site is optimised for mobile.

Rick Morgan Stanley have said within 18 months mobile Universal4 browsing will overtake desktop browsing.

20 July 2011 10:18 pm #10 20 July 2011 1:36 pm #6

Muppet Jarvi

Personally I am as underwhelmed as TheGooner is with The increase in mobile eCommerce tends to indicate that mobile gambling (referring mainly to phones here; tablets are people are willing to compromise in screen size/quality, different and you can hardly carry one in your pocket). I just etc., so perhaps that might translate to other industries don’t see the attraction at all except for maybe betting on a too. Personally, I can’t work out why anyone would game when I am there. shop online using a smartphone if needed to browse for products or services; however, obviously it is a growing But as an affiliate I see mobile as a potential threat. If trend among many users. you were a casino or poker room that could release your platform on the Apple Store (or Android or whatever), for Can definitely see more use for sports than casinos at the example, what need do you have for traditional affiliates? moment, with in-game betting being one example The Apple Store is the de facto largest affiliate site on earth, so you just release your app on there for free 20 July 2011 1:42 pm #7 and pay Apple nothing. Normally it’s a 30% cut of the sale price, which is still far cheaper than 30% of lifetime Jarvi revenue anyway.

Affiliate sites that refer players to the app store can have an And a few numbers from Ladbrokes for the first 3 months affiliate account with Apple, but if the casino or poker room of 2011: is giving away their app for free, the affiliate earns nothing. Sure as value added for existing players it might be great, - 18% of customers bet using mobile but there is unlikely to be many affiliate programs that will - 11% of total sportsbook amounts staked were from attempt to concoct some kind of tracking scheme to credit mobile affiliates for new customers that download an app from - 11% of new digital sign-ups were via mobile an app store, even if the affiliate referred them there. The Source - Juniper Research best I can think of is affiliate site refers a player to a casino website, player registers there, then downloads the app 20 July 2011 1:51 pm #8 from the app store and logs in using previously registered credentials. Not a process many sites will want to inflict on Nsawins their players.

I hate buying anything on mobile or even using an iPad. I use a BlackBerry for news and e-mail only and only if I am away from my laptop. Having said that, the younger crowd (i.e., 25 and younger) absolutely loves the tablets and mobile devices and I can definitely see the percentage of new accounts being opened in the future continuing to increase on the mobile platforms. CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

From the GPWA forums FROM THE GPWA FORUMS

21 July 2011 4:51 am #11 22 July 2011 9:21 am #12

Hodgeyboy EugeneK

The dilemma that Muppet outlines is one that we had For sure [the] mobile trend will be developing, especially been considering for a long time at Betfred . . . should it in betting, especially in live betting. BTW, Google recently be an app or a web platform? released a survey where it is stated that most of users use their iPads at home. We recently launched mobile betting but chose to do so via a mobile-optimised web-platform as opposed to an Another point is that I am finding more and more app precisely because it gave us the freedom to include players who play via their mobiles and deposit more affiliates in the marketing of this. We can now offer than 1,000 USD. affiliates the chance to refer players via regular websites, mobile-optimised web sites and even reverse SMS by texting an allocated keyword in to us. We can also track 26 July 2011 6:49 pm #13 players to affiliates whose first-time registration is via a mobile device. TheGooner

In my opinion, the future of almost everything involving data exchange of some form or another will be mobile. The growth of these devices is increasing at an Originally Posted by EugeneK exponential rate and crucially it is also growing in the Recently Google released a survey where it U.S., which has traditionally lagged behind Europe in is stated that most of users use their iPads terms of mobile device usage. And it doesn’t only apply at home. to online transactions, either. The arrival of payment via Near Field Communication is also going to revolutionise the way customers pay for their everyday items in shops This I could understand. and businesses. Although the iPad is portable - it’s not really a pocket Some of you mentioned that you can’t imagine anyone appliance - but it is an option for simple browsing or wanting to do ‘x’ on a mobile when they can still do ‘y’ gaming around the home. It also has a reasonable on a desktop but the same was said in bookies’ shops screen to base a gaming platform. when the idea of online gambling first became possible. For example, at Betfred I am told that way back when, So is it really mobile gaming? Or just a mini-laptop? when the idea of moving online was first discussed years ago, the prevailing view was that it would never surpass betting shops and they would not need more than 5 or 6 people to run the online operation! 26 July 2011 7:09 pm #14 It was a failure of imagination. If things had stayed the same then bookies’ shops would never have installed TVs in their shops to show the races, even radio. They Muppet would have stuck with a man and a chalkboard writing up the results for the gathered punters. The arrival of the Exactly. When I talk mobile gaming I am talking phones, Internet was just the next step in that process of change not mini-laptops or tablets, which are more or less the and it’s the same with mobile. same thing as a computer.

There is the potential threat that brands will look to save money by only releasing their product via places like an app store, but if we agree that the future seems certain to be dominated by mobile then the only response for the likes of you and me is get thinking, innovate and look for those gaps and niches where we can step in and provide a service to potential customers of these products and platforms.

From the GPWA forums

21

The Drought Is Over! Football Is Back! Now’s the time to focus on making your site stand out from the crowd

By Sinead Lambert You’ve got your short where they can get the best free bets. Add live odds boxes alongside your content eople are walking around with a spring list . . . now, how are you so your readers can get the latest prices. P in their step and a smile on their face. You’re spoon feeding your readers, giving It can only mean one thing: football (soc- going to promote them? them everything they need to place a bet. cer) is back. Legions of men now have All of this information is a pretty powerful You’ve got your list of trusted partners, so something to talk about with their friends. and persuasive message. To keep up to date now what are you going to do? The bar- More importantly for sportsbook affiliates, on what offers your selected bookies are of- gain-basement look has well gone, where the summer drought is over. So, let’s get fering, ask to be added to their PR list. you slap your site full of free bet banners. down to business. That won’t cut the mustard anymore. How If you’re looking for operators who offer the Here are a few things for you to think are you going to get the most out of your best footy prices, Betfair offers better odds about at the start of the season: traffic and optimize your conversion rates, than most bookies, but Pinnacle and Canbet without bombarding your visitors with should not be overlooked. They both con- Which bookies are you free bet banners? sistently offer better odds than most book- ies and often better odds than Betfair after If you look around at sites you know are do- going to promote? you take commission into account. ing a good job, you’ll get some ideas. Now, Do you have a short list of bookmak- I’m not advising that anyone blatantly copy If you’re looking for operators offering ers you’re going to work with? Cut the other sites but there’s no harm in using regular footy cash-back offers, there are fat and only work with bookmakers you them for a little inspiration. The best way too many to mention, but I’ll give it a go. know work for you and earn you the most to promote is a cumulative approach – a bet365 offers a ton of great offers (e.g., their – bookmakers who can convert and retain much softer approach than was common in 0-0 refund offer), as do Boylesports, Victor your traffic. Focus all your time and en- the banner-farm days – an approach based Chandler, Paddy Power and Betfred. ergy promoting them. on strong content, well-placed text links, strong creative and Focus on reliable brands that offer gener- up-to-date informa- ous sign-up offers and bookies who cover tion and promotions. a range of leagues and markets and offer live streaming across a range of football For example: you’ve “The bargain-basement look events. Don’t waste your traffic on book- written a preview ies that don’t have a strong product. They for the games this has well gone, where you won’t convert or retain your referrals. weekend. Include links to who is offer- slap your site full of free bet Don’t underestimate the power of a good ing the best price on banners. That won’t cut the affiliate team. The brand may be good, certain selections: but the affiliate team may be inept, and “Gervinho can be mustard anymore.” without the right support, no matter backed at 9/2 with how good the product is, you won’t Paddy Power whilst have the right tools to promote it. Make Walcott is available sure you’ll receive the full support you at 7/1 with bet365.” need to promote the brand effectively. Let your readers know where they can Finally, don’t ignore Asian Handicap bet- view the game live “Watch the game live ting. It’s a serious market now, attracting So, before narrowing down your list, con- with bet365. Not a bet365 customer? some serious football betters. It often pro- sider whom you earn the most from, who Sign up here to receive a £200 Free Bet.” vides lower bookmaker margins and there- converts and retains your traffic the best fore better value for the punter. bet365 ex- Tie in any cash-back offers that are avail- and who provides you with the most/best cels at offering Asian handicap odds and able on the game, and explain how readers promotional material and gives you the other good suppliers are Pinnacle, Canbet, can avail themselves of them. Tell them most support. Victor Chandler and Betfair.

The Drought Is Over! Football Is Back! 21

What makes you so special?

Have a think about why people would visit your site, stick around and more impor- tantly come back. It’s so hard to get peo- ple to your site so you have to make sure you’ve got the goods to keep them.

Carve out a niche for yourself. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Take a look at what your competitors are doing; maybe there is something they are do- ing that you can improve on or tweak.

Are you getting your visitors in- volved? Can people comment on your articles? Do you have all the social bookmarking icons? Football tipsters/fans are a little bit touched (that’s my mother’s way of saying that they are mental). There are a lot of them out there who are ob- sessed with the game and their team. Some would be happy to share their tips, write some con- tent for you for free. If you get people involved, interacting with each other, they’ll have a reason to come back.

Have a chat with your affiliate managers; they look at affiliate sites from dawn to dusk. They should be able to give you ideas on any opportunities that are out there, things people aren’t doing at the moment or things people are doing that are working well for them. Also, if you get on well with your affiliate managers tap them up for some exclusives – maybe some freebies that you can use for a competition on your site or a one-day free bet exclusive you can offer to your visitors.

The best way to succeed this football sea- son is to cut the fat and focus your efforts on promoting a select few bookmakers. Take a softer approach instead of the old-school hard sell, knocking your visitors over the head with free bet banners. And have a think about what makes your site stand out from the crowd.

Sinead Lambert is Affiliate Manager for Value- Checker Affiliates (affiliate.valuechecker.co.uk), a live odds solution created by OLBG.com. 23

Five diversification strategies for poker affiliates post Black Friday

By Jeremy Enke These actions left many poker affiliates in understatement. Post “Black Friday,” a quandary. For several years the poker the decision to diversify was no longer a The second and third quarters of 2011 affiliate industry has been recognized as decision at all; it became a necessity for have proven to be the most turbu- one of the most lucrative affiliate niches many. In order to survive, many pok- lent six-month period in the poker af- in the world. Many Internet marketers, er affiliates have rebuilt their portfolio filiate industry since the signing of the SEOs and affiliates have been able to build through strategic diversification. UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling businesses and make full-time incomes Enforcement Act) in 2006. On April 15, promoting online poker. Many of these af- Often when poker affiliates think of 2011, the U.S. Department of Justice filiates’ business models relied heavily on diversification, they believe they will seized the domains and essentially shut converting U.S.-based traffic, and often- need to venture into a completely new down the four largest online poker sites times building a residual income stream affiliate niche. While this may not be a in the U.S. market. Shortly thereafter, from revenue-sharing programs. bad idea for some affiliates, this is not many more poker, casino and sports bet- the only solution. There are a variety of ting sites accepting U.S. players began To claim that many of these poker af- ways affiliates can diversify within the voluntarily exiting the market as well. filiates sustained a significant reduction online poker market. Here are just a in their monthly incomes would be an few examples:

Five diversification strategies for poker affiliates post Black Friday 23

What many poker affiliates have suc- cessfully been doing since Black Friday 1 is taking their highest-ranking and best- 3 converting pages, and then having them Get back to the basics – As successful Diversify outside of online gaming translated into various different languag- poker affiliates, it’s easy to forget some of – With poker affiliate marketing being one es. When having pages translated there the basic things you once did, or what gru- of the most competitive affiliate niches in are three key factors to take into account: eling steps you had to embark on to gain the world, it has allowed thousands of your initial poker affiliate successes. Take • Translator – It is critical when having poker affiliates the opportunity to develop a week and go back to writing press releas- pages translated to hire a professional the skills they need to be successful in any es, contacting fellow webmasters for link translator who is fluent in both languag- affiliate market. By parlaying the skills exchanges, article submissions or writing es being translated. If possible, it also that have made you successful in the guest blog posts for others. important to hire a translator who un- poker affiliate market, you can easily gain derstands poker and the various poker traction and success in other markets. terms that are used when writing about poker. Take your time and research dif- ferent translators before choosing one. It’s best to get a sample of the transla- tor’s work or testimonials from other poker affiliates. • Culture & market – Understanding the culture and overall poker market when attempting to globalize your busi- ness into countries outside the U.S. is very important. For example, if you are attempting to enter the French or Often we forget about the simple things Italian market, you should know which poker sites are newly licensed in these we once did that helped us gain our ini- The key, however, is choosing emerg- tial success. With the recent changes that jurisdictions. Pursuant to this you should research what the most popular ing niches or products that are not yet have taken place in the industry, there oversaturated and have similar charac- has never been a better time to change poker variations or games being played in these markets are. teristics to gaming. For example, if an up our daily routines and try new things. affiliate is going to try to break into the • Choose the right sites to promote weight-loss or debt niche, he or she is – Promoting within the European mar- going to have a much harder time than kets is completely different from pro- breaking into newer niches. For poker moting within the U.S. poker market. affiliates, some of the emerging niches I 2 Take the time to learn which operators would suggest, and ones which will actu- do best in which markets. Likewise try ally cross over to gaming quite nicely, are: to promote operators whose main sites Expand your global reach – If you and even gaming platforms are trans- have an existing portal that for years has lated into the native language you are • Sports picks & handicapping services converted your U.S. traffic, it may be promoting. If you have a page written • Penny auction sites easier than you think to begin attracting in German that generates a great deal a more global audience. The good news is of German traffic, it is imperative that • Binary options trading that your site is probably aged and rank- you’re sending this traffic to a German • Precious metals affiliate programs ing quite well in the search engines. The landing page on any sites you are pro- bad news, however, is that the majority of moting. To find out which sites are best Certainly there are thousands of dif- your traffic may still be U.S. based or tar- in which markets, talk to affiliate man- ferent options out there for affiliates to geting keywords around poker sites that agers and network with other affiliates explore when looking to diversify out- no longer accept U.S. players. in the various affiliate forums. side of gaming. However, the ones listed above are emerging niches and ones that Expanding your global reach within the on- involve both risk and skill, similar to on- line poker market is a great way for poker line poker. affiliates to recapture some of the revenues they may have lost post Black Friday. While The best piece of advice I have been giv- there is still revenue to be made within the en by other superaffiliates is to continue U.S. poker market, that market is much rebuilding and growing inside the poker smaller than it once was. Even if the U.S. affiliate market while at the same time market does pick back up, which everyone trying some new affiliate projects outside expects it will at some point, you will be of gaming. thankful that you took the proper steps to globalize your business and hedge against the kinds of uncertainties we are seeing today.

Five diversification strategies for poker affiliates post Black Friday 24 25 4 5 Stop being an affiliate and build Explore joint ventures – With several In closing, it’s hard to predict exactly what your own product – Throughout the poker affiliates looking to diversify and will transpire in the poker affiliate indus- years as the poker affiliate industry has essentially start from scratch, there has try over the next year, not to mention the become more and more challenging, never been a better time to investigate next several years. The most sensible thing many affiliates have chosen to simply joint ventures. Many of the industry’s poker affiliates can do at this point, how- build their own products or business largest affiliates and operators over ever, is to diversify in some fashion. While versus promoting someone else’s. While the years have been born out of initial diversification strategies will differ among it may be hard for an affiliate to step joint ventures. individual affiliates, there is no question outside of their comfort zone, this can be that given the recent developments it has an extremely lucrative move. become a necessity in order to continue growing in a market overflowing with uncertainty.

Entering into a joint venture can allow you to combine skills and strengths with others. As the old saying goes, “Two Depending on the product or platform, heads are better than one,” and this is instead of being an affiliate, you can now very accurate when entering into a joint get on the other side of the business and venture. Additionally, working together launch your own affiliate program. By with others yields a higher level of ac- having been an affiliate first, this will also countability and work ethic by both par- allow you to understand the needs of af- ties. Most affiliates I know are the first filiates and run a much more effective af- to admit that working alone makes it filiate program. very easy to not be accountable. Whether you decide to launch a new Jeremy Enke The real value of a joint venture is real- product within gaming or outside of ized when both parties can bring sepa- gaming, you’ll need to be creative. While Jeremy Enke is the CEO of Poker rate resources and skills to the table. For an entire article could be written on en- Affliate Listings (PokerAffiliateListings. example, maybe you are a great coder or trepreneurship or product launches, the com). Jeremy has dedicated over content writer but terrible web designer or seven years to the poker affiliate key is to find demand in the market that SEO. Imagine the possibilities for a new market, with an overall mission is not currently being met. The beauty of business where you can collectively bring throughout this time of helping launching a new product or business is together all of these talents. affiliate marketers reach their that you are only limited by your creativ- full potential and become more ity and potential resources. successful in this terrific industry. Many poker affiliates often fail to reach Jeremy has been involved in the poker their full potential simply because they affiliate industry since 2003. Founding lack certain skills or resources. If this the world’s largest poker affiliate sounds familiar, there has never been a community, followed by the world’s better time in the poker affiliate industry largest poker affiliate network, Jeremy to explore joint ventures. likes to refer to himself as a self- proclaimed Certified Baller. Jeremy’s sense of humor and entrepreneurial spirit are second to none.

Five diversification strategies for poker affiliates post Black Friday 24 2011-2012 EVENT CALENDAR 25

18-19 October JANUARY 2012 JUST A4U Expo London Hilton Metropole 8-10 January LAUNCHED! London, England Affiliate Summit West Caesars Palace Las Vegas 26-27 October Las Vegas, Nevada Euro-Asian iGaming Forum (EAiG) 24-26 January Moscow, Russian Federation ICE Affiliate Zone Earls Court Exhibition Center Introducing GamingMeets.com London, England – your guide to over 700 NOVEMBER 2011 industry events including trade 25 January shows, conferences, seminars, 7-8 November Lyceum Fire & ICE Party networking events, and awards The 5th Annual Power London, England ceremonies. Visit this brand- LatAm Event new site for complete details Windsor Atlântica Hotel 26 January on each of the upcoming Rio de Janeiro, Brazil iGB Affiliate Awards iGaming affiliate events listed The Brewery on this page plus a wide variety 12 November London, England of other industry events. For Finance for Online Gambling up-to-the-minute info on where Grand Hotel 26-29 January Stockholm, Sweden gaming industry professionals London Affiliate Conference (LAC) around the world will be 18-19 November Old Billingsgate Market getting together, get yourself iGB Espana 2011 London, England over to GamingMeets.com! Hotel Melia Avenida America Madrid, Spain 27 January LAC Welcome Drinks 23 November Grange St.Paul Hotel OCTOBER 2011 Sport and iGaming 2011 London, England Office of Pinsent Masons LLP For full details, visit GamingMeets.com 3 October London, England 28 January G2E Welcome Reception LAC 5th Birthday Party Poolside at The Venetian 30 November Tiger Tiger Las Vegas, Nevada EGR Operator Awards London, England Gala 2011 3-6 October Honourable Artillary Company 29 January G2E iGaming Congress and London, England LAC Closing Party iGaming Zone Amber Bar Las Vegas Sands Expo & London, England Convention Center Las Vegas, Nevada DECEMBER 2011 30 January LAC Sunday Session 4 October 1 December Lyceum Holiday 2011 The Centre Page GPWA Cocktail Party London, England Stratosphere Tower iGaming Social Las Vegas, Nevada London, England

10-12 October MAY 2012 Monaco iGaming Exchanges Grimaldi Forum 22-25 May Monaco The iGaming Super Show RMS 14 October Dublin, Ireland Lyceum End of Summer iGaming Social London, England

2011-2012 Event Calendar 26 27

Taxing Rules

As more governments adopt iGaming legislation, affiliates must determine which regulatory and tax models provide the best conditions for success

By Lorien Pilling what governments’ attitudes towards on- an increasing realization that this is not line gambling are and to keep abreast of an adequate solution and in the last few egulation is not the most glamorous any proposed regulatory changes. years more and more governments have R topic within the Internet gambling been introducing regulation specific to industry, but it is the most important. In general, governments tend to regard online gambling. This was visibly demonstrated at the gambling as a sinful activity that ideally iGaming Super Show in Dublin in May should be prohibited or, if it is permit- Operators have been lobbying hard to 2011. Held just a few weeks after the ted, it must be controlled closely and try to influence the final drafts of this events of Black Friday the conference taxed heavily. The advent of Internet regulation, with differing levels of suc- sessions on U.S. regulation were stand- gambling was many governments’ worst cess. Regulation (and its associated tax ing room only – affiliates were concerned nightmare because of the cross-border rates) determines the types of gambling that they were also in the sights of the access to gambling it offered customers. that can be offered, the marketing activ- Department of Justice and operators For the last decade many major econo- ity that can be undertaken, the appeal were interested in hearing what pros- mies simply did not address Internet of online gambling to players, and ul- pects there were for state or federal regu- gambling specifically, preferring in- timately the profitability of operators. lation of online poker. For affiliates it is stead to claim it was covered by exist- Which regulatory models, then, afford certainly worth investing time to find out ing gambling laws. But there has been the best conditions for success?

Playing by Taxing Rules 26 27

The answer depends upon what constitutes Recognition of other licenses at the time of this writing, the operators “success,” which in turn depends upon from will also be liable for the 15 percent gross- whose perspective you look at it. The concept of global trade across bor- profits tax on U.K. revenues. ders does not seem to apply to online In the new regulation that has been intro- gambling if the legal cases fought in the Tax mechanism duced already or is being proposed, there European Court of Justice and World are several common elements that influ- Trade Organization are any indication. The tax rate and the mechanism applied ence the type of iGaming market that will are central to the viability of an online develop and the opportunities for affiliates. Being able to hold one license in a low-tax gambling market. A tax on turnover ru- jurisdiction and from there target many ins the online gambling business model, Restricted numbers of different markets was the ideal setup for which was founded on a low-tax, high- companies. But it did mean that govern- payout setup. A turnover tax also ruins licences ments lost tax revenues offshore and as a the viability of certain products, such as result very few governments entertained betting exchanges and casinos. The draft Greek legislation for online the idea of mutual recognition of licens- gambling includes provision for about es. One of the few to do so was the U.K., In 2005, when the U.K. unveiled its new 50 licenses, while Senator Correa’s SB40 which created a “white list” of approved Gambling Act, operators said that the pro- bill for Internet poker in California has jurisdictions from where firms were still posed tax of 15 percent on gross profits (gross been amended to allow win) was too high. Today, 15 just five licensed opera- percent of gross profits looks tors in the state. Belgium’s positively generous compared new regulations tied online with the turnover taxes licens- licenses to existing land- ees have to contend with in based operations. France, or the 20 to 30 per- “The advent of Internet cent tax on gross profits in the Restricting licenses in this likes of Denmark and Greece. manner works for govern- Germany has stated an initial ment because it can protect gambling was many tax rate of 16.6 percent of turn- existing gambling vested over in its draft proposals. interests, such as state mo- governments’ worst nopolies or influential tax In response to higher taxa- contributors. It also works tion, operators have to in- for those private companies nightmare because of crease their gross win mar- that are fortunate enough to gin or rake to cover the taxes. win one of the licenses. This, in turn, influences con- the cross-border access sumer behavior. Consumers Of course, those firms that realize they are losing their miss out are left with the money more quickly and in dilemma as to whether or to gambling it offered response perhaps lower their not to continue taking stakes to make their funds bets from that market. It last longer or play less fre- all depends on how large customers.” quently. Their other option, a percentage of their of course, is to seek out off- overall revenues that shore firms not encumbered market contributes. with the same tax rates. In a restricted license en- Many of the governments introduc- vironment an auction often takes place permitted to advertise in the U.K. The ing new Internet gambling regulation to determine the winners. In California, list included the likes of Malta, Alderney, have done so because they are in need SB40 wants upfront payments of U.S. $50 Gibraltar, Isle of Man and Tasmania, as of new sources of funds. This was cer- million from each of the five licensees. well as EU member states. tainly the case with Italy back in 2006 This again works in governments’ favor The U.K.’s white list model for recogniz- and it is a similar situation for Greece, because operators often overbid in their ing existing licenses should have been Spain and California today. A need for eagerness to get into a “crucial” market. It the prevailing model. Having seen, how- funds seemingly outweighs any critical often turns out to be a less crucial market ever, that other countries in Europe were thought as to how consumers will react a few years down the line when the auc- favoring the more restrictive, high-tax and change their behavior in response tion winners are still paying off their li- domestic model, the U.K. too has an- to the higher taxes. cense fees and not making any profits. nounced that it is scrapping the white Government monopolies are often used In return for these licenses, however, the list. Every company that wishes to adver- to operating in high-tax environments operators do expect the government to tise online gambling in the U.K. and take precisely because one of their primary take action against non-licensed firms business from U.K. players will have to roles is to raise funds for government. that continue to target the market. hold a U.K. gambling license. By implica- tion, although it has not been confirmed State lotteries, therefore, are well placed to succeed in the new high-tax online

Playing by Taxing Rules 28

gambling environment because regulatory and operational costs. it is business as usual for them. The tax rates and licensing costs “There is very little that is being proposed in the United Restriction on States – either federal or state passed in regulation that – are no better. gambling activities is not to the benefit of the So, five years ago the industry Governments in different mar- had the perfect regulation but kets have proposed regulation government’s own aims. The has lost it all in that short space that places restrictions on cer- of time. But how have govern- tain Internet gambling activi- various models adopted will ments fared? ties. These restrictions can be either direct regulations pro- shape the future of the on- Take France: hibiting certain activities or • They have gained far great- indirect by imposing tax mech- line gambling sector and the er control of the Internet anisms that make running cer- gambling beast (something tain products unviable. opportunities open to opera- they are very keen to do: http://gpwa.org/222 ). There are different motives tors and affiliates alike.” for wanting to restrict certain • They have satisfied the European gambling services in a market. Union trade requirements and The French government cited a got the European Commission desire to protect their citizens off their backs. from addictive gambling as a reason for A new era of regulation • They have protected their existing excluding casino games from their new domestic monopolies. online gambling laws. Internet gambling was founded on the • They have enlisted private license following pillars: Governments are also wary of licensing holders to effectively act as tax collectors betting exchanges because they perceive • Low (or no) gaming taxes based on for the state. exchanges as a threat to the domestic gross gaming yield For government it has been an over- horse-racing betting industry, either in • High payout to customers – made pos- whelming success. terms of lost revenues or lower margins. sible by the low taxes and giving online Domestic horse-racing betting providers gambling an advantage over the land- are often owned by the state or contribute based market Implications for affiliates large amounts of tax to the government, so • Offshore jurisdictions there is also an element of vested interests There is very little that is passed in regu- in the restrictions. • One license, targeting many markets lation that is not to the benefit of the gov- ernment’s own aims. The various models This is clearly the case in the United This was the “golden age” of Internet adopted will shape the future of the on- States, where the influential sports as- gambling, and from the point of view line gambling sector and the opportuni- sociations, Nevada casinos and Indian of players, operators and affiliates was ties open to operators and affiliates alike. tribes understandably want to protect the ideal regulatory setup. But for ma- their existing businesses and are nervous jor governments it was not acceptable Higher overall costs for operators mean about Internet gambling. It is partly for because tax revenues were being lost less generous revenue shares available this reason that the draft bills with the offshore and they had no control over to affiliates and more competition in the best chance of success deal solely with the operators. Governments may have affiliate sector. The weaker affiliates will Internet poker and games of skill. been caught napping in the first phase not survive if they do not adapt to the new of Internet gambling but they have now regulatory landscape. Such restrictions are obviously not caught up. As a result, these founding good for consumer choice or for affili- pillars are now crumbling in most re- In theory, “successful” legislation is about ates wishing to promote certain types gions of the world, with the exception creating a well-regulated, competitive of gaming in different markets. But as of Asia. market that offers choice and value to the example of the United States amply the consumer. In practice, it is more of- demonstrates there will always be op- In Europe taxes for online gaming are ten about appeasing politically influential erators (usually privately held compa- rising; Greece collects 30 percent of vested interests and protecting existing nies) prepared to step into the breach gross gaming yield, while Germany’s government tax providers. and offer customers what they want. plan would collect one of every six eu- Depending on the ambiguity, or lack ros in turnover. This ruins the payout Lorien is Head of Research for Global thereof, in the law, service providers to customers and hits the profitability Betting and Gaming Consultants, a spe- who work with those operators – be it of operators. In turn it restricts the rev- cialist, international consultancy based providing payment services or affiliate enue shares offered to affiliates as com- in the Isle of Man. promotion – need to assess the risk of panies have to cut costs to turn a profit. being associated with them. The trend started by Italy of requiring a license in each market also increases

Playing by Taxing Rules 28 30 Regulators! Mount up!

News commentary by Vin Narayanan One of the key pillars of online gambling PokerStars, which also saw its founder regulations is ensuring money deposit- indicted and bank accounts frozen, re- hen people talk about effective ed by players remains safe. But as the funded American players their money. W regulation, the discussion inevita- players from Full Tilt and Absolute/UB But Full Tilt and Absolute/UB haven’t, bly turns toward taxation. After all, noth- wait for their money to be sent to them, and it’s absolutely fair to ask why. ing kills a good regulatory scheme faster it’s clear that their money was anything than bad tax policy. If taxes are too high, but safe. For its part, Full Tilt blames the failure or if the wrong revenue stream is taxed, to repay players on a series of unfortu- it’s not profitable for operators to legally The DOJ maintains that it seized only nate circumstances. It claim that in the offer services within a jurisdiction. And operational funds, and that Full Tilt and two years prior to the April indictments if it’s not profitable to operate legally, Absolute/UB are free to return money and bank seizures, the U.S. government what’s the point (for operators) of licens- to players. had seized $115 million in player funds ing and regulation? and a payment processor had stolen an additional $42 mil- But there’s more to regulation lion in player funds, and that than tax policy and profits (just combination of factors has left don’t tell the Ferengi). Providing it in a position where it cannot consumer protections, prevent- pay its players unless it receives ing and treating problem gam- Players and the industry a cash infusion. bling and ensuring fair games are critical components of any need to know that regulators Even if you’re willing to give regulatory framework. For pol- Full Tilt the benefit of the doubt icy makers — and many players ‘‘ and accept this explanation — these issues are more impor- care about things like at face value, it still leaves the tant than the taxation issue. And question of what the regulators when governments and voters accounting procedures and were doing while all of this was look at whether regulation is going on. succeeding, meeting these other commingling of funds. They goals is as important as creating Did regulators know Full Tilt had a successful business climate in need to know that regulators $157 million seized or stolen over determining whether regulation the past two years? If they did, has been successful. care about keeping player what steps did regulators take to make sure Full Tilt would have the So as we evaluate how success- funds to pay all players if some- ful regulatory schemes are, we funds safe. They need to thing catastrophic happened? need to look at how well they And if the regulators didn’t know protect players and their funds. know that when things are Full Tilt lacked reserved funds, And right now, in three different why didn’t they know it? jurisdictions, there are pointed going wrong, regulators will regulatory failures. Was Full Tilt commingling play- step in to fix things.” er funds with operational funds? France, Alderney and the What about Absolute/UB, which Kahanawake are all facing also hasn’t paid back players? significant questions about their oversight roles of Full Tilt Poker “No individual player accounts were ever The expectation from players and gov- (Alderney and France) and Absolute frozen or restrained,” said Manhattan ernments is this is what regulation is Poker/UB (Kahanawake). The licensing U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in a press for. But the regulators are nowhere to be jurisdictions are not being questioned release. “Each implicated poker company heard from. for giving licenses to the sites that has at all times been free to reimburse were effectively shut down following any player’s deposited funds. In fact, this The Alderney Gambling Control the Department of Justice indictments Office expects the companies to return Commission suspended Full Tilt’s li- of their founders (and subsequent sei- the money that U.S. players entrusted to cense, but hasn’t said publicly what it zure of bank accounts). Rather, they’re them, and we will work with the poker is doing — or what it has done — out- being questioned as to why these com- companies to facilitate the return of funds side of collecting a check from Full panies are unable to refund money to to players.” Tilt for outstanding licensing fees their customers. (and shouldn’t that money have gone to the players?) and publicly stating

Regulators! Mount up! 30

they’re giving more time to Full Tilt to when things are going wrong, regulators find a buyer. will step in to fix things.

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission said But right now, nobody knows that. The it will review the status of Absolute/UB only thing they know for certain is that li- player accounts in April, but hasn’t said censing authorities will find a way to get word one about the situation since then. paid. And if that’s the sum total of regula- tion, why bother with it at all? But as agents of the players – which is what regulators are in this instance – this silence is unacceptable. Players and the Vin Narayanan is the managing industry need to know that regulators care editor for the GPWA Times. He’s about things like accounting procedures been covering the online gambling and commingling of funds. They need to industry since 2006 and specializes know that regulators care about keeping in legal and regulatory issues. You player funds safe. They need to know that can follow him on Twitter @casinocityvin. 6ISITUSAT WWWAFFUTDCOM 6ISITUSAT WWWAFFUTDCOM GPWA AFFILIATE INTERVIEW SERIES 35

Whatever the game, these GRAHAM ROWLANDS graham guys have it Make drinking money, covered make a good living or make

Whether they’re full-time affiliates or holding down millions – it’s your decision! other jobs as well, the five How long have you been working in enjoyed working with them. I really like webmasters we’re featuring the industry? What drew you to the the fact that unlike most online poker in this issue are totally business? I have been an affiliate since rooms, PKR is actually doing some- 2006. I was drawn to the industry origi- thing different! dedicated to making their nally because my friend and I were pok- sites work – for their players er players that didn’t do so well at the I actually used to have many sites dedi- and for themselves. tables. We were always trying to come cated to poker but sold off a lot of my up with business ideas and when we network in May 2010. The PKR site was learned that you could make money by one that I decided to keep separate in They offer everything an referring people to poker sites we de- the deal I made. cided to build a site and give it a try. online gambler could What do you like about the industry? desire – casino, poker, You used to live in Buenos Aires. What The things I like most about this indus- bingo, mobile gaming, did you do there? One of the nice things try are the people, the flexibility and about working online is the flexibility the earning potential. From traveling backgammon, and even of location. I had always wanted to live to conferences I have met many great scratch cards and rummy! somewhere else and to learn Spanish, people whom I consider good friends. Depending on the site, which is why I went there. The flexibility is another thing that I value a lot about this industry. If you players can sign on in You posted in May 2008 that you had set yourself up in an organized way you Danish, English, German, gone full time in order to spend more can work from anywhere in the world. Greek, Polish, Romanian, time working on your sites. Looking Lastly, the money is definitely an amaz- back on the past three years, how has ing perk to this industry. You can be Russian, Spanish or Turkish. it been going for you? The past three a casual affiliate and make drinking years have been great other than a few money on the side, a full-time affiliate The youngest affiliate is small setbacks more recently. When making a good living or a super affili- I went full time I figured everything ate raking in millions per month. The 28, the oldest is 50 and would be much easier and I would be choice is yours! the other three are in their able to accomplish many more things. 30s. They live in Canada, The reality is it can be quite stressful What don’t you like about the indus- at times and difficult to keep yourself try? One of the disappointing things the Netherlands, Israel, motivated. On the positive side I have with this industry is there is still a large Romania and Turkey. Do learned so many things about running a amount of “shadiness” that goes on. they have strong opinions business that are invaluable skills I will There is a lot of greed and although it take with me into the future as I ven- is just business a lot of companies get about our industry and what ture on to new things. away with things that would be consid- could/should be done to ered illegal in other sectors. One of your sites is dedicated exclusive- make it better? To find out, ly to PKR. Why do you promote them What surprised you the most about the just keep reading! exclusively above other online poker industry? After working in this industry rooms, and have you considered taking for five years nothing really surprises *Due to space constraints, we could not print the a wider approach to the poker market? me anymore. When I first started out interviews in their entirety. The complete text will be This is a site that I actually purchased I think the thing that surprised me the posted at gpwa.org. from a friend many years ago. I think most was to learn how much some af- PKR is a great brand and have always filiates were making. GPWA AFFILIATE INTERVIEW SERIES 35

How do you feel about af- filiate managers who also operate their own sites? Do you see any conflict of inter- est there? This is a difficult question to answer. I have no problem with affiliate managers creating sites that don’t compete with their af- filiates. Since they get to see which affiliate sites are bringing the most traffic they shouldn’t be able to use this knowledge to then go and compete with these affili- ates for the same keywords. If a casino affiliate manager wants to create a poker affili- ate site, then there shouldn’t be a problem.

Regarding the current state and the immediate future of our industry, are you a glass- half-full or a glass-half-empty guy? To be honest I think I am right in the middle. I can see two possible scenarios play- ing out: one would require af- filiates (licensed operations), while affiliates would no lon- ger be needed in the other (state-run sites). I think there will always This can vary from instantaneously to a AGE: 28 be a requirement for affiliates in some couple days. It depends how urgent that markets but this means there will be a lot e-mail is. When I’m traveling it is when- HOMETOWN: Toronto more people competing for those players ever I can get an Internet connection. LIVING IN: Toronto that are left. I used to be very good with e-mail when FAVORITE FOOD: Steak What did you do before you joined the I had a BlackBerry and would reply in- MUST READ BOOK: The 4-Hour Workweek, online gaming industry? I worked at stantly, but ever since I switched to an by Timothy Ferriss IBM for five years monitoring mid- iPhone/Android I tend to be much worse SITES: BestCasinosOnline.org range and Tandem systems for a bank as it is much more annoying to type on. CasinoB.com here in Canada. My tip would probably be if e-mail is very PKR Rake Club important to you then get a BlackBerry. Do you attend many affiliate conferenc- es? What purpose do they serve for you How do you manage your “to-do” lists? Do professionally? I typically attend about you use any special software to help you two conferences per year. I used to get out? My to-do lists consist of a bunch of How much time do you spend on SEO, a lot out of conferences (e.g., negotiat- papers lying around my desk. I have tried and what do you do to keep your SEO ing better deals, networking, etc.) but as using some software-based solutions but skills up to date? Since my number of of late I am starting to get much less out always seem to go back to paper and pen sites is much smaller now I spend a lot of them. The speakers seem to always be because then you have something right in less time on SEO lately. It’s more on an the same people and they have started to front of you. as-needed basis. To keep up to date with become more of an excuse to go party in SEO skills I read various forums and at- another part of the world and catch up How much time does it take to keep your tend sessions at the gaming conferences with friends. sites updated? Most of my sites are on (although most of the time I find these auto-pilot as I have people who update are targeted more towards newer people How long do you give yourself for re- them for me but occasionally I have to learning SEO). sponding to e-mail? And what e-mail tips make major updates, which can take can you offer? If I am home then I try to some time. respond to e-mail as soon as possible.

GPWA Affiliate Interview Series GPWA AFFILIATE INTERVIEW SERIES

What prompted you to join the GPWA, and how has it helped you so far? I joined the GPWA as I was trying to learn more about the casino side of the industry. I used to be much more focused on poker and was an active poster at PAL. I felt that GPWA’s forum was much more focused on the ca- sino affiliate side of the industry.

If you could, is there anything you’d change about the way the GPWA fo- rums are organized? I would get rid of a lot of them or make them sub-forums. I remember one of the things that held me back from posting on GPWA for a long time was I found it to be very clut- tered and hard to find what you were looking for.

Time management is one of the biggest issues facing affiliates. What time -man agement tips can you offer your fellow webmasters? I am probably the worst person to ask about this, but I think you need to keep an organized schedule and stick to it. Keep the distractions such as Facebook, Twitter, TV and video games for another time and when you are sup- posed to be working, actually WORK.

Do you have a smartphone? If so, in what ways, if any, do you use it in the course of 2. Eminem – I’ve always loved his music. was if I went back and returned the CD operating your sites? I have an iPhone I took, so I did and was banned from and a Samsung Galaxy S (Android) right 3. Dave Chappelle – To add some comic there for one year. Every time I was now. I don’t really use my phone at all for relief to this dinner. with people who wanted to go there I operating my sites other than for replying would just wait outside or say I didn’t to work-related e-mail from time to time. 4. Steve Jobs – One of the smartest busi- feel like it. ness minds of our time. You mentioned recently that you have What’s your all-time favorite movie, and started a few non-gaming sites. Can you 5. Gautama Buddha – Buddhism interests why? I don’t think I can really narrow it tell us what categories they fall into, and me and why not learn more about it down to just one, but one of my all-time how they figure in your revenue stream? from the expert? favorites is Blow. I think Johnny Depp is I used to have a business partner with a an amazing actor and I love the story. When you need to get as far away from few of my sites and we had a music site work as possible, where do you go? A and were building a few other niche- beach somewhere with no Internet access. specific sites. These sites did make some money, but were relatively insignificant How do your family and friends feel amounts compared to my revenue stream about how you make your living? They from gaming. I am in the process of build- are all supportive. ing several locally based sites and plan to start a couple of blogs that I am going to What are three things that nobody knows update on a much more frequent basis. about you?

If you could have dinner with any five 1. I HATE public speaking and used to people, living or dead, who would they skip classes when I had to do presenta- be, and why? tions in high school. I have fortunately become much better. 1. Warren Buffett – Because I know very little about stocks and figure he’d prob- 2. I am very shy. ably be a good person to get some ad- vice from. Also I love everything he does 3. When I was young my friend and I were with charity and how he lives a humble caught shoplifting at a music store but I life even though he has so much money. got away. The only way he would get off

GPWA Affiliate Interview Series 37 GPWA AFFILIATE INTERVIEW SERIES 39

JJ HOFKAMP casinoplanet Mobile gaming’s poised for massive growth driven by small depositors

Your sites are exclusively about mo- dollar – even for major keywords like ca- What do you find to be the major differ- bile gaming for smartphones including sino and blackjack. ences between online and mobile gam- BlackBerry, iPhone and Android. When blers? Which group has the highest roll- did you launch the first of these niche- Although I can’t quit my regular job just ers? Research on mobile users shows that market sites, and how has your traffic and yet, it generates a nice extra income and there are some basic differences between revenue been tracking, from day one to I’ve noticed a steady increase. the online and the mobile gambler. The right now? To prevent any possible con- mobile gambler is less willing to spend fusion, let me first explain that I promote Were you already working in online gam- money, plays less frequently with shorter mobile gambling programs mainly on mo- bling when you decided to go 100 per- sessions and is less loyal to a specific ca- bile websites. So it’s in fact double mobile. cent mobile? No. In 2007 I built my first sino or gambling program. I have several Although I run some regular websites on website as a hobby, hoping to make some players who made their first deposit more mobile gambling as well, the majority of money with ringtones and mobile games. than a year after they initially registered. traffic (and revenue) is generated by mo- Soon I discovered how difficult it was to bile users. make it profitable, so I started to look Although I have some high rollers, the ma- for alternatives. That is when I stumbled jority play with small amounts. It’s a bit Back in 2008 I started my first mobile upon the mobile market and realized its like looking in the crystal ball, but person- website, with little to no knowledge about immense potential. I searched for pro- ally I don’t expect this to change radically the mobile market. I had questions about grams to join and noticed the gambling in the coming years. Most revenue will be which mobile ad network to use and how industry was one of the few that were generated by many small depositors rath- to get good rankings in the mobile search active in this field and also offered good er than by high rollers. Fortunately there engines (I still have these same questions mobile affiliate programs. In fact they are far more mobile users than online us- sometimes). There is a lot of information still are and I don’t understand why oth- ers, and forecasts still predict massive on- on the Net about how to build and main- er industries, such as travel companies, going growth. tain an online affiliate site, including the aren’t more active. I don’t expect people dos and don’ts. will ever plan their summer holiday on Are you a full-time gambling affiliate, or their phone, but booking a hotel room do you hold down another job as well? For mobile affiliate sites, however, there is works perfectly on mobile. I’m a full-time senior auditor in real far less information available and some- life. Although I like this job very much, I times it felt like searching for a needle in In what ways, if any, is operating a mobile hope one day to be able to become a full- the haystack. So I had to learn by trial and gaming portal different from operating a time affiliate. error, which turned out to be quite costly. conventional online gaming portal? Since Investing in ad campaigns with a horrible I never operated an online gaming portal, What do you like about the industry? It’s ROI, not reaching the right audience and I can’t really compare these two. As in a very dynamic industry and mobile gam- buying bad traffic were some of the prob- online gaming, webmasters have to find bling is a developing market with great lems I encountered. good affiliate programs to join and set up opportunities. Since I like to do research an online or mobile portal where visitors and figure out how things work, this is a From the start revenue varied a lot from find the information they’re interested in. perfect environment for me. month to month and from casino to casi- no. Actually this still is the case, but I think The main difference between developing What don’t you like about the industry? this happens in every emerging market. a mobile and a regular website, however, The crooks and scams, although these are is that you have to think mobile. Less is not things that only occur in this industry. Despite all the positive forecasts, this isn’t more. Always keep in mind that people an easy money market. It takes hard work are looking at a small screen. Limit page What surprised you the most about the in- and a lot of time to get good results. In weight to avoid long loading times, op- dustry? Many affiliates still don’t recognize that perspective, it doesn’t differ from the timize and simplify navigation, prevent the massive potential of mobile. Although online business, I guess. horizontal scrolling and don’t bombard an increasing number of webmasters have them with long, extensive articles. added a mobile gambling section to their The good news is that there still is little websites, only few have developed a mo- competition and advertising is cheap com- Although mobile phones get more sophis- bile version to target mobile users. pared to online, making it a very profitable ticated by the day, they will always have market. With AdWords you can have your limitations compared to desktop and lap- ad on the first mobile page for less than a top computers.

GPWA Affiliate Interview Series GPWA AFFILIATE INTERVIEW SERIES 39

JJ HOFKAMP casinoplanet AGE: 50, so I’m only about halfway through HOMETOWN: Sellingen, a small village in the Netherlands LIVING IN: Emmen, a small town in the Netherlands FAVORITE You may always wake me up for a FOOD: good steak MUST READ Not one in particular, but I very BOOK: much like thrillers from David Baldacci, Dean Koontz, Patricia Cornwell, Robin Cook and Michael Palmer SITES: CasinoPlanet.mobi 777mc.com MCJackpots.com MobiFortune.com MobileCasinoReviewer.co MobileJokerz.com

What are the pros and cons of running a .mobi site vs. a .com site? Up to now I haven’t noticed any differences be- tween those two and I think Google has to do some work on this. When someone launches a .mobi website, people expect it to work properly on any mobile phone. That’s the main reason why the .mobi ex- tension was launched in the first place. Unfortunately there are numerous .mobi domains that aren’t mobile friendly at all, but still score well in the search results. Since Google always encourages web- masters to enhance the user experience, I think they should reward properly set up .mobi domains with higher rankings.

What advice do you have for webmasters looking for trustworthy SEO companies to work with? Perform really thorough research before you choose an SEO com- pany! Find as much information as possi- ble. Search for client experiences, contact former clients and always check the com- pany’s credentials. If you only find limit- Does SEO for mobile sites differ from SEO How do you manage your “to-do” lists? Do ed information on a particular company, for traditional web pages? Not really, al- you use any special software to help you stay away from it. And last but not least, though Google seems to adjust their mo- out? In front of my desk hangs a billboard don’t get blinded by great-looking web- bile parameters from time to time. If you on which I put sticky notes. This works sites and apparently professional e-mail. follow the online SEO guidelines, you will fine for me and I haven’t felt the need for This might be a lot of work, but there are do well in mobile, too. software to help me yet. just too many crooked companies around. How long do you give yourself for re- How much time does it take to keep your The chances of ending up with an empty sponding to e-mail? And what e-mail tips sites updated? That depends on how one wallet and zero results are just too high. I can you offer? I think you have to respond defines updating the sites. The technical once made this mistake myself and it cost within a day, especially to e-mail from vis- updating activities, like editing and main- me a decent amount of money. itors. They are your most valuable asset taining the websites, takes less than 10 and you should treat them accordingly. percent of my time. But the research on market developments, programs, mar-

GPWA Affiliate Interview Series GPWA AFFILIATE INTERVIEW SERIES

keting and articles takes a lot more time. I think that part consumes at least 80 per- cent of my time.

What prompted you to join the GPWA, and how has it helped you so far? I think the GPWA is one of the best sources of information for gambling webmasters, since all aspects of run- ning a gambling website are covered. Although subjects on mobile gambling are still limited, I’ve found several very useful posts on SEO and other techni- calities. It’s also a great place to share all kinds of information.

Time management is one of the biggest issues facing affiliates. What time -man agement tips can you offer your fellow webmasters? Make a “to-do” list and prioritize. Especially when starting an affiliate website, there are just too many things you have to do.

If you could have dinner with any five people, living or dead, who would they be, and why?

1. Matt Cutts (Google) – I’d like to discuss several aspects of mobile websites and hopefully get some useful tips.

2. Sergey Brin or Larry Page (Google founders) – To hear their real long-term goals, as they are active in many differ- ent areas.

3. Mark Rutte (present PM of the Nether- lands) – I would confront him with the hypocrisy of the Dutch gambling regu- lation act. Only government-owned or- ganizations are allowed to run gambling activities, which they extensively and aggressively promote on radio, TV and online. Come on, man, grant us a piece of the cake, too! How do your family and friends feel about What’s your all-time favorite movie? how you make your living? Most of them Memento. First of all I’m a big thriller fan 4. Albert Einstein – Never talked to a real were surprised, because they had no idea and secondly this movie is really unique genius, so I’m quite curious how this what the mobile gambling business is all in the way the story is told. One story line would work out. about. They were even more surprised to moves forward in time while the other hear that some people wager small for- tells the story backwards, revealing more 5. Sandra Bullock – For obvious reasons. tunes on their mobile phone. By now they each time. Just brilliant! think it’s cool and frequently ask me how When you need to get as far away from the business is doing. work as possible, where do you go? My dream is moving to a sunny country one What are three things that nobody knows day, because I really hate bad weather about you? I’m a very open person and and winter. Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece don’t think there are things about me that and the South of France are places I’m nobody knows. And to be honest, if there thinking of. were any, I don’t think I would reveal them here.

GPWA Affiliate Interview Series

GPWA AFFILIATE INTERVIEW SERIES 43

ROBERT robyroy If he could, he’d work 25/7!

You have two English-language sites and a What don’t you like about the industry? that are imperative in the gambling niche, Romanian-language site. Who is the target Competition. Being nice is very difficult, and for that I am thankful. audience for the English-language sites? I and competitors are not always honest. have many more sites! My target audience Time management is one of the biggest is all European potential gamblers. What surprised you the most about the issues facing affiliates. What time man- industry? I was very surprised by the col- agement tips can you offer your fellow What is the Romanian online gambling lapse of the giant Full Tilt Poker. Nobody webmasters? Oh God, I don’t know what market like, and how does it differ from expected this. advice I can give about this. For me, time the rest of Europe, and the rest of the is always insufficient. world? The Romanian market is unique. What did you do before you joined the Romanians love gambling, but you have to online gaming industry? Like I said, I am Please describe your favorite vacation. offer them the best promotions. They are not a full-time affiliate. I was and I am a Favorite holiday? Hard . . . probably best dedicated bonus hunters – but they are web developer. I am running sites in mul- would be in the mountains, somewhere very strong players. tiple niches. far from civilization.

Last year you posted that you wanted to How do you use social media in promot- You’ve described Romania as “a little sell one of your sites, PokerArena.net. ing your sites? Which social media work heaven on earth.” Please tell us some- Is it still up for sale? What were/are your best for you? Usually I don’t use social thing about your country. If a GPWA mem- reasons for wanting to sell it? I am a busi- media to promote my sites. I prefer to ber who had never been to Romania be- nessman! Anything is for sale for the right write premium content for my readers. fore came to visit you, what would you be price. I have a lot projects and I don’t have This is the best way to promote your sites. most excited to show them? Yes, indeed, time to develop all of them. This is the mo- And of course SEO. Romania is a small corner of paradise. tivation for selling PokerArena. What would I show a GPWA member? What types of content do you believe Earlier this year you launched another site, generate the most traffic on your sites First I would show them the beauty of na- GamblingArena.net. How has that been – site reviews, or news items? And which ture, landscapes untouched by civilization. working out for you? GamblingArena.net types of content tend to get players to Then I would probably go to Dracula’s is one of my preferred projects. It’s an all- sign up at the sites? I think my visitors castle, and I would also take them to Casa around portal for gamblers. And it’s work- are attracted to the entire content of my Poporului, the largest building in the ing very well for me. Not much traffic, but sites. I try to offer the best possible re- world after the Pentagon. great conversions. views, and also try as much as time al- lows me to offer visitors the latest indus- If you could have dinner with any five You have a site that offers free links to all try news. people, living or dead, who would they webmasters, with no back link required. be, and why? Yuri Gagarin, because he What kind of response has your offer How long do you give yourself for re- was the first man in space. Robert de received? I offer free links on http:// sponding to e-mail? And what e-mail tips Niro, because he’s my favorite Hollywood gamblerdir.com. Gamblerdir is a free re- can you offer? I spend almost 15 hours a star. Michelle Pfeiffer, because I think source for gambling webmasters. I think day online. My reaction time is very fast. she’s one of most beautiful women alive. that it’s a nice little success. Julius Caesar, one of the most powerful How do you manage your “to-do” lists? men on earth. And Daniel Negreanu, the How long have you been working in the Do you use any special software to help most charismatic and probably one of industry? What drew you to the business? you out? I usually don’t use any special best poker players. Let me think… I’ve been in this business software. On my WordPress sites I use since 2007, so it’s about four years. I am FeedBurner. It does all the hard work! When you need to get as far away from here because I like this business, not for work as possible, where do you go? If the money. How much time does it take to keep your time allows me, I go with my wife and sites updated? If the day were 25 hours child to the mountains, away from the Are you a full-time online gambling affili- long, I would probably use them all. It is madness of Bucharest. ate, or do you hold down another job as extremely difficult to keep sites updated well? Oh no. I am not a full-time affiliate. every day, especially when you own more How do your family and friends feel about My main occupation is web developer than 10 sites. how you make your living? The fam- and SEO. ily accepts and supports me in what I do; What prompted you to join the GPWA and friends do not know exactly what I do! What do you like about the industry? how has it helped you so far? The GPWA Dynamism. This industry is extremely dy- is the main meeting place for webmasters namic. Always something new. in this niche. I have learned many things

GPWA Affiliate Interview Series GPWA AFFILIATE INTERVIEW SERIES 43

If you could go back in time and tell the 16- What are three things that nobody knows year-old version of yourself three things, about you? I am a very good chess player, AGE: 33 what would they be? I do not know what I like to work at night when it’s quiet and HOMETOWN: Bucharest to say. I do not regret anything I did. I do . . . in December I will be a father for the LIVING IN: Bucharest not want to change anything in my life. second time. FAVORITWE Sărmăluţe cu mămăliguţă (stuffed What’s your happiest childhood mem- What’s your all-time favorite movie? I FOOD: cabbage rolls with baked polenta, a ory? It’s hard to say. All my childhood think that Schindler’s List is one of best traditional Romanian dish) was very happy. On vacation we went movies ever made. MUST READ Cel mai iubit dintre pământeni to visit my grandparents and made all BOOK: (The Most Beloved of Earthlings), kinds of “mischief.” by Marin Preda SITES: pokerarena.net pokertips.ro gamblingarena.net

GPWA Affiliate Interview Series GPWA AFFILIATE INTERVIEW SERIES 45

GIL GALPERIN genich99 Don’t let success get lost in translation!

You operate 13 sites, in languages includ- How many people does it take to maintain In 2010 we started to operate as a full- ing Russian, Greek, Polish, Danish, German so many sites? We have six full-time em- time business, building big portals con- and Spanish. They offer information and ployees and also regularly use the services centrated on the gaming industry. access to online poker, backgammon, casi- of 10 to 20 freelancers. no and scratch cards. Which site came first, Are you a full-time online gambling af- and which sites produce the most revenue What’s the biggest challenge you face filiate, or do you hold down another job for you? We operate a business that con- in terms of maintaining all of your sites? as well? Online gambling affiliation is my stantly adapts to market trends. We have There are many challenges in running a full-time job. a team that is capable and well-versed in business like ours and the biggest chal- launching multiple sites simultaneously. lenge for me is creating sites in languag- You’ve said that as you became a big af- In my experience all gaming products are es we do not speak. We need to rely on filiate your expenses grew accordingly, profitable if you do your homework in ad- freelance translators who are not easy and that today expenses are much higher vance and make sure you only invest ac- to manage. than they were five or six years ago. Could cording to foreseen revenues. you elaborate on this for us? The industry How do you ensure quality content in is very competitive, with new businesses We also have an in-house-developed CMS several different languages? Initially we joining the rat race every month. You have product that we created as there was noth- encountered many problems with multi- to keep up with the competition and con- ing out there that could do all the things lingual content management. For exam- stantly update and invent. we needed it to do. Now, due to increased ple, we had some translators who thought interest in our CMS, we plan to market it they could use the “Google translate” tool, In addition Google is continuously de- as a shelf product in the near future. but we learned from experience and built veloping and improving their algorithm, a tool that recognizes content that was which in turn makes Google work slower, Tell us more about the CMS system you translated automatically by software as making it much harder to get noticed in built. We have developed our own CMS opposed to by a person. This now saves us the sea of gaming affiliate websites. For from scratch. It allows us to create and a lot of time and money as far as doing QA example, just five or six years ago you manage simultaneously multiple multi- on all translations. could see results within three or four lingual sites. We can very quickly launch months. Now it takes much longer and a new site and then have it localized to Any plans to add more sites, or to take requires a lot more people and bigger other languages. some of them down? Yes, of course. We budgets to achieve. constantly add new sites while maintaining Our system is equipped with all the basic our focus on quality design and content. What do you like about the industry? I and advanced CMS capabilities, SEO tools like the flexibility of being able to work and a built-in translation system that al- How long have you been working in the in- with different people from different lows freelance translators access from dustry? What drew you to the business? I countries and backgrounds. It’s a chal- any location to create translations directly began my journey into the world of online lenge, but it makes my working day very within our CMS (we do not use e-mailed affiliate marketing in the year 2000 when interesting. I can’t say that I ever experi- Word and Excel files, which saves every- I started working in a marketing depart- ence a boring workday. body a lot of time). ment for a big Internet company. There I gained basic knowledge in Internet mar- What don’t you like about the industry? How much do you have to know about keting. In 2002 I started working for an There are still many unprofessional peo- each of your markets? Do you take a var- SEO company, promoting different sites ple in this industry. You see many “hit ied approach for each country-specific in search engines, and simultaneously and run” businesses, and some companies site? Or do the sites merely require trans- started building my own websites, pro- don’t respect their affiliates. There are lots lation to be effective in a new market? We moting them in search engines and work- of opportunists. conduct research before choosing which ing as an affiliate. markets to cover. Our content is written What surprised you the most about the in- in English using professional writers and By 2005 my friend and business partner dustry? The sense of camaraderie that af- industry insiders. We try to create the started a poker website for the Russian filiates all over the world have. I frequent most relevant and accurate content possi- market – pokeroff.ru. This gave me a bet- affiliate forums and see the amount of ble. Then the English content is translated ter understanding of what I could achieve help and advice we offer each other and it into other languages and additional coun- in the gaming industry. warms my heart. I also tend to travel to all try-based content is added to reflect infor- the big gaming conferences, where I enjoy mation that is important for those reading At one point in time I worked for an oper- in person the same sense of camaraderie our sites in different languages. ator. I also consulted Play65 (major back- I get online. gammon brand) and helped 888 enter the Russian poker market.

GPWA Affiliate Interview Series GPWA AFFILIATE INTERVIEW SERIES 45

GIL GALPERIN genich99 AGE: 33 HOMETOWN: Tel Aviv LIVING IN: Tel Aviv FAVORITE Italian, Sushi FOOD: MUST READ The Master and Margarita, BOOK: by Mikhail Bulgakov SITES: Casinofilter.com (network of casino sites in 10 languages) Scratchcardsworld.com (network of scratch cards sites in seven languages) Rouletteonweb.com (network of roulette sites, in development) Blackjackonweb.com (network of blackjack sites, in development) bgclub.ru (backgammon site for the RU market) and other projects

What did you do before you joined the online gaming industry? As I mentioned before, for the past 11 years I have been involved with the SEO (black and white hat) industry, so in addition to the online gets answered in five minutes whether it sadly I have no tips to offer. I would, gaming industry I also worked in the on- is solicited or unsolicited. however, be very happy to get some line dating and adult industries, and the time management tips! ringtones industry. I engaged in e-mail How do you manage your “to-do” lists? marketing, media, affiliation and worked Do you use any special software to help If you could have dinner with any five peo- as a superaffiliate. you out? I discovered that when it comes ple, living or dead, who would they be, and to my to-do list I manage it better the old- why? I would mention some musicians, How important is page rank in measur- fashioned way by using pen and paper maybe, like Thom Yorke. But I love having ing the success of a site? That depends and relying on my memory. dinners with my girlfriend and friends. on what you define as “success of a site.” If you would do statistical research on How much time does it take to keep your When you need to get as far away from data up to 2011, you would probably see sites updated? Each site has its own re- work as possible, where do you go? I do Google Page Rank has a certain correla- quirements. Big portals that cover many travel a lot but more often than not my tion with a site’s positions in Google for different aspects of the gaming industry travels have something to do with work, its keywords. What happens from now on require more work, and niche sites that so to really get away from my work I need only Matt Cutts and his friends know! focus on specific games tend to require to get away from my computer and go slightly less work, although there are ex- down to the pub to have a drink with my What are your thoughts on the accuracy of ceptions such as websites that are dedi- close friends. Google’s keyword tool? It is a rather useful cated to slots. tool that I mainly use to compare the per- How do your family and friends feel centages of people searching for a particu- What prompted you to join the GPWA, about how you make your living? I hope lar keyword in relation to another keyword. and how has it helped you so far? First they are proud of me. I’ve tried to build a of all I enjoy the concept behind the business from scratch and to create em- With so many sites to manage, how do you GPWA. I think that colleagues need to ployment for other people. go about making sure your SEO work for help and warn each other. That is why each site is up to par? Up-to-par SEO is I make sure to check the forums from What are three things that nobody knows a very subjective term, but I would agree time to time and read interesting inter- about you? I once got a very sound piece of that managing many sites makes my SEO views when I get e-mail alerts informing advice that said if you want something to re- work a lot more complicated. However, me they are available. main a secret you need to tell it to nobody. we built our CMS in such a way that it is able to help with a lot of the SEO work. Time management is one of the biggest What are your all-time favorite movies, and issues facing affiliates. What time why? A Clockwork Orange, Forrest Gump How long do you give yourself for re- management tips can you offer your – I like movies that make you think. sponding to e-mail? And what e-mail tips fellow webmasters? I wouldn’t say that can you offer? E-mail that interests me time management is my strong suit, so

GPWA Affiliate Interview Series GPWA AFFILIATE INTERVIEW SERIES 47

HUSSEIN CHATIN CasinoRecommender Want to be a winner? Get yourself a coach!

In addition to reviews and information, of 2009, I decided to build international through the GPWA forum that there was your site offers games including casino, sites operable in various languages but plagiarism in my reviews. After I made a backgammon, bingo, poker and rummy. mainly in English (targeting traffic out- cross-check with the Copyscape site, I saw Which games bring in the most revenue? side Turkey) but keep the former Turkish that the issue was valid and immediately Casino games are the best in terms of visi- sites in my portfolio. And my first English removed all of the copied content. And I tor/registration/depositor/conversion. site, “CasinoRecommender.com,” was immediately fired the content writer. Due But there are sharp fluctuations so I never born online in the summer of 2009. I call to my lack of experience, I had neglected make an estimate for the end of the com- it my “Master Project” and have been ap- to check the content uniqueness and got mission period. Poker, rummy and bingo plying all of my accumulated SEO and de- into a lot of trouble with some of the other bring more stable returns. Additionally, sign knowledge on it. During the last two affiliate programs also. But thank God I one of my favorite table games is back- years, I have also added two specialized have addressed the issue thoroughly with gammon, which has player continuity via gaming sites (backgammoner.com and the corresponding affiliate managers and long-lasting backgammon tournaments. rummygamer.com) but have been unable remedied the unwanted situation. That to focus on them enough due to the heavy was a great lesson for me. Now I regularly Are you planning to make any changes business load of CasinoRecommender.com. check the whole site’s content for any act to your site? Yes. My coach “John,” from of plagiarism that could be done by other Gaffg.com, and I are currently working Are you a full-time online gambling af- sites or content writers. together on the restructuring and rede- filiate, or do you hold down another job signing of CR as well as moving it to a as well? I am a part-time online gambling What do you like about the industry? WordPress CMS platform, which will sure- affiliate who has very little time due to my Cooperation and dynamism. I haven’t seen ly bring more efficiency and interactivity. full-time work. I am a regional sales man- any similar solidarity in any other sector. ager for one of the world’s largest multi- You can improve yourself through forums How long have you been working in the national FMCG (fast moving consumer and open source information supplied by industry? What drew you to the business? goods) companies and manage 56 sales other affiliates. A true win-win situation! Actually, I have been dealing person- personnel. So I am doing my best to be as And this increases the overall dynamics ally with web design since my University mobile as possible to fully utilize my time. of the industry. Mobility is another great years (1994-1999). But that was only But it takes lots of energy and prevents me feature of this industry. You can do your limited to music fan sites. I’ve been in- from focusing totally on my gambling af- work without the limitation of a fixed loca- volved professionally since the beginning filiate business. My all-time dream is to tion or office. of 2004 when my first gambling affiliate become a full-time online gambling affili- site, “iddaalar.com,” was founded. The ate as soon as possible. For help making What don’t you like about the industry? site offered sports betting tips. My cousin this dream come true, I’ve been getting All types of barriers and limitations ap- had been highly interested in sports events valuable coaching support from “John” plied by governments. I support regula- and he had an adequate knowledge. So I (Gaffg.com) for the past three months. tion but I hate prevention. decided to merge his sporting knowledge with my webmaster know-how, which was A couple of years ago a program you ap- What surprised you the most about the a great start. Then I broke with my partner plied to discovered that someone at your industry? The continuously increasing due to his own intense business involve- site had lifted and published significant growth rate (despite restrictions). I am ment. The domain name is still strong amounts of content from another site. not able to make a healthy guesstimate for the Turkish market, where it derived As soon as you heard what was going on, for the industry turnover figures. Still I from the keyword “iddaa,” which is the you fired the perpetrator and deleted all cannot make a projection for the coming brand name of the National Betting game. of his content from your site. What should years because of the “Snowball Effect.” Then, in February 2005, my second baby, site owners be doing to prevent this kind Casinosor.com, was born. It means “Ask of thing from happening? That was an What did you do before you joined the a Casino” in Turkish and targeted poten- undesired and painful experience which online gaming industry? I have an entre- tial Turkish casino players. Then, at the was caused by one of the content writers preneurial type of personality and devoted beginning of 2006, legal restrictions took (I will not mention his name here) whom myself wholly to technology. In 2000, I place in Turkey and we lost most of our I had hired through a reputable SEO con- founded the Hcorp company, which pio- affiliate revenue from iddaalar.com. But I sulting company. I had agreed to have neered in producing “e-Card” product in never gave up the fight! I added four spe- the reviews of the casino brands writ- Turkey. The other strange business that I cialized Turkish gaming sites dealing with ten. And after he had finished doing his have dealt with is forex trading as a forex roulette, slots, blackjack and poker be- work, I published all of the content that trader. Forex is being accepted as “finan- cause I had noticed that restrictions in any was provided by him. And then, as you cial gambling”! So that was not far away part of the world just heighten the inter- have mentioned, a program manager of a from the gambling industry. est on online gambling. At the beginning reputable gambling company warned me

GPWA Affiliate Interview Series GPWA AFFILIATE INTERVIEW SERIES 47

HUSSEIN CHATIN CasinoRecommender AGE: 35 HOMETOWN: Kadıköy, a suburb of Istanbul, Turkey LIVING IN: Çeşme, İzmir, Turkey FAVORITE All types of seafood FOOD: MUST READ A Brief History of Time, BOOK: by Stephen Hawking SITES: casinorecommender.com

In your opinion, what role does keyword density currently play in optimizing SERPs? Also, do you utilize Twitter and Facebook to drive traffic to your site? I think “keyword density” is not as impor- tant an issue as before. But as Google and other search engines use algorithms and this is a complex structure containing many factors, it has always had an effect etc.) have an important role in my busi- most time-consuming site in my portfo- on SERPs. But keyword density in “Title ness model. I must admit that I am a rap- lio. If I were able to focus on this industry Tag” and “Description Tag” has always id-responding person as an affiliate and a full-time, these hours would increase to had more of an effect. I have proved it webmaster. I use all of the mobile gadgets six or seven hours a day. with my experiments and observations on available to interact on time. In my opin- my sites and competitor sites. The bottom ion, the most important tip is “Treat the We know how important good content line: domain name, genuineness, natural- sender as yourself.” If you would like to is to your site. How long should a typi- ness and semantics are much more impor- have the answers or information quickly, cal, full-length casino review be in order tant than keyword density and the other then you have to also do the same. And to evaluate the casino thoroughly with- factors. I do utilize Facebook, Twitter and never forget that time is money. Another out boring your readers? And how long LinkedIn as well to drive traffic and com- tip is to make priority lists according to does it take you to produce that content municate with my potential and current your work flow. Date-sorting alone is not for each casino on your site? It is a very followers. I always try to post my updates enough when responding. critical issue as you have mentioned. You about reviews, bonus changes and site should not bore them but you should enhancements through these social me- How do you manage your “to-do” lists? supply them with enough information to dia and aim to make a valuable contribu- Do you use any special software to help convince them to play at that reviewed tion to my followers by providing useful you out? There is not a magical rule for brand. I have made investigations on this content. Then the visitor traffic comes as this. I basically prefer iPad and iPhone issue through competitor site analyses a bonus. “Notes” for organizing my to-do lists. and forum communications. Affiliates But this is a primitive program. There generally prefer to write between 500 and If you were giving a new affiliate three are more sophisticated to-do list pro- 700 words. According to my experience, SEO rules to follow, what would they be? grams and applications on the market. it should be around 500 words. More im- 1. Use a scheduled “to-do” list for planning But one observation that I made for portantly, clear sections, correct informa- your time so as not to miss any task. This myself is, when I try to use more im- tion, highlighted features (with bold) and is often not done by many overconfident proved methods, then I tend to show less banners (try to have directly anchored affiliates and they never know what they negligence due to complexity and start text links that lead to specific sections of a are missing. to miss things. So the simplest form is casino) should be applied to increase the the best for me. In my opinion, follow- quality of the content. It takes three days 2. Always cooperate with others through up discipline is much more important per casino to analyze, one hour per casino respectable forums on SEO issues/af- than the software-type approach. to write the review and another half an filiate program testimonials and have hour to publish the review with screen- coaching support from an experienced How much time does it take to keep your shots, logo and banner design. professional if possible. sites updated? It is hard to figure defini- 3. Be patient, intensive and consistent with tively, but on average it takes two hours a What prompted you to join the GPWA, your experiments and their outcomes. day for review/content writing and half an and how has it helped you so far? When hour for forum communication. Design I made a search through Google with the How long do you give yourself for re- work is another issue that takes time. It keyword “Best Affiliate Forum,” as far as sponding to e-mail? And what e-mail is not needed daily but I can say that it I remember, it showed GPWA as a search tips can you offer? E-mail and all sorts of takes roughly 10 hours monthly. Without result. And as I had been observing the communication mediums (Skype, MSN, a doubt, “Casino Recommender” is the GPWA seal on many reputable gambling

GPWA Affiliate Interview Series GPWA AFFILIATE INTERVIEW SERIES

Time management is one of the biggest How do your family and friends feel issues facing affiliates. What time -man about how you make your living? Only agement tips can you offer your fellow my father, mother, wife and one of my webmasters? I totally agree with you. best friends know about my part-time Besides, “time management” is not only business. The others only know my full- an important success factor within this time job. In the near future, I wish to industry but also in every aspect of life. see online gambling totally regulated Even if you have lots of money, you can- in Turkey, at which time I will proudly not hire a time manager who will make share with everybody the details of my better plans for your time than you part-time job! yourself can do. “Priority” and “time al- locations” are the keywords. The simple If somebody was visiting you in Turkey, rule is “Allocate the most time to tasks of what’s the one place you would take the highest priority.” Another key rule is them? Çeşme-Alaçatı. It is a tradi- “Whatever you’re doing, stay totally fo- tional village-like place, famous for its cused on that particular task.” Otherwise, preserved/undamaged stone houses you may spend more time than necessary and one of Europe’s best windsurfing and steal time from upcoming tasks. areas. Having wonderful seafood and organic food with delicious homemade If you could have dinner with any five wines would be an unforgettable mem- people, living or dead, who would they ory for sure. be, and why? What’s the most misunderstood thing or 1. Steve Jobs: Great fighter in life and concept about Turkey? Turkish people are business! often stereotyped as lazy and unreliable, 2. Nicholas Cage: Great compatibility with but these are generalizations that are not every role. true in all cases. I personally know many Turkish people who disprove these evalu- 3. Bon Jovi: Never-ending energy, even ations. In general, all countries contain with children! citizens having either positive or negative 4. Henry Ford: Thanks to the Father of characteristics. Cars. I love cars! What are three things that nobody knows 5. Alexander Graham Bell: Achieved a about you? portals and sites, I was determined to be- milestone in communication. come a private member. Then I applied 1. Although I have 13 gambling affiliate for the “Seal Program.” After reviewing When you need to get as far away from sites, I do not like playing poker, black- our site for a long time, the GPWA decid- work as possible, where do you go? To jack or any other card game personally! ed to accept our seal application. Thanks Istanbul, where I was born and where I like But I do play a little backgammon. (Pro- to the GPWA for not only the knowledge to go for relaxation and entertainment. fessionally, of course, I play the card that we gain from their valuable forum games to review the brands.) How is online gambling viewed in Turkey? members, but also for the affiliate trust 2. I check my sites’ statistics a minimum of And what’s the general gambling cul- and confidence that the GPWA seal has 10 times a day (even in the loo!). added to our site, contributing to our over- ture in Turkey like? It was totally banned all success. by the government at the beginning of 3. I can’t touch cotton and velvet! My skin 2006, without any regulation via licens- is oversensitive to these fabrics. Until about three months ago, you hadn’t ing. I believe in gray areas besides blacks posted anything in the GPWA forums and whites. So there should not be only What’s your all-time favorite movie, and for about two years. What brought you “On” and “Off” buttons. There should be a why? The Devil’s Advocate. It reflects back? That is true. As I have already “Stand-by” button also. But, unfortunate- the devilish ambitions of real life, and in mentioned in this interview, for the last ly, they have banned all of the online gam- my opinion Al Pacino, Keanu Reeves and three months I have been working with ing sites to Turkish residents without any Charlize Theron did some of their best John from Gaffg.com. One of the valu- exception. Turkish people like to gamble work in this film. able things that he has contributed to my online or offline very much, and before the business is concentrating on the forums government limitations the Turkish mar- for information exchange and improving ket was one of the fastest-growing emerg- my SEO knowledge. I have started to post ing online gambling markets. So not only on GPWA and other reputable gambling Turkish players but also all of the operators forums. I recommend that each and every lost this potential. But a few of the trust- affiliate use these beneficial open sources worthy casino operators still operate on a regularly to become more successful. limited basis. And Turkish people tend to support them by playing on their sites.

GPWA Affiliate Interview Series Fed or State? – The Great U.S. iGaming Regulation Debate iMEGA’s Joe Brennan and the PPA’s John Pappas go mano a mano

here’s been plenty of buzz in recent In New Jersey, state Senator Ray Lesniak has in- weeks and months about the inevita- troduced a bill that would regulate intrastate on- bility of regulation of Internet gam- line gambling that is almost identical to a bill that T bling – and more specifically Internet passed the state legislature last year but was vetoed poker – in the United States. by Gov. Chris Christie. Christie hasn’t changed his position publicly, so it’s hard to say why Lesniak But despite lots of talk by multiple state legislators thinks things will be different this time around. and members of Congress, the reality is that most of the debate has ended with a decision to continue And at the federal level, while two bills that would the debate at a later date. regulate the industry are open for debate in the House, neither is likely to even have a shot at a Washington, D.C., seemed poised to be the first to committee hearing, let alone see a full House vote. offer Internet gambling to its citizens after the city So the focus has been shifted to the “debt super council included a provision that would allow the committee,” which is tasked with cutting deficits lottery to offer Internet gambling to people within by $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years. Some have the district in its annual budget. But scandal regard- argued that the roughly $40 billion that could be ing how and why Councilman Michael A. Brown made by regulating and taxing the Internet poker introduced the provision (he has been paid well by industry would be a good place to start. (Sadly, that a firm with an interest in seeing online gambling only gets them 1/30th of the way there.) proliferate in the U.S.) has created plenty of doubt as to whether the plan will go forward. To sort out this mess, and show us the best way for- ward, we’ve asked two leaders in the fight to have Intrastate Internet poker seemed to have plenty of a debate via e-mail on the topic. Joe Brennan, the support in the California legislature this summer, chairman of the Interactive Media Entertainment but Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg & Gaming Association (iMEGA), has been one of said, “Significant, unresolved issues remain,” and the main proponents of legislation in New Jersey, shelved the idea for this year. while John Pappas, the Executive Director of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), has been leading the fight for federal regulation of online poker. From: Joe Brennan, iMEGA To: John Pappas, PPA ......

If there were a federal solution to the Internet gambling question, I’d be happy. After all, I live in the D.C. area. It would be easier for me to make the 30-minute drive into Washington than to hike up to Trenton, N.J. or Harrisburg, Pa. or down to Tallahassee, Fla., for example. However, for the last four years, we’ve been of the opinion that the best way to make progress on the iGaming question would be to focus on gaming states, and that the federal prospects were slim in the near-term.

Low Fed prospects aren’t for a lack of effort or investment or good people. It’s simply a question of numbers:

1. Passionate congressional opponents of iGaming far outnumber passionate supporters.

2. The potential tax and job-creation yields are not high enough in Washington terms to motivate the ambivalent bulk majority of the remainder of Congress.

3. The numbers and the issue do not elevate the issue to the level of a priority for members of Congress. There is just too much attention required elsewhere – on the economy, on jobs, on health care – for the issue to be given the serious consideration it deserves.

4. A majority of the members of Congress who voted in favor of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in 2006 are still there, and thus far have had little incentive to “change” their position on iGaming.

5. The current and previous Speakers of the House have had no intention of bringing the issue to a floor vote.

Gary Loveman of Caesars Entertainment recently said, “I think there is the will in Congress to legalize online poker.” There isn’t, at least not a majority will. Maybe Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid does, but he doesn’t have the power to push it through. And despite commentary to the contrary, Senator Jon Kyl is not in any hurry to join Reid in pushing a bill in the Senate.

A half-dozen states have begun to seriously consider Internet gambling. The opportunity numbers scale better at the state level, in revenue, taxes and jobs. If those states began to permit and regulate the activity, it would add heft to the lobby in Washington to have the Feds address this beyond UIGEA.

Unfortunately, Mr. Loveman and Caesars have myopically chosen to commit suicide on the federal efforts, and claim that state-level efforts hurt their push in D.C. That’s illogical, and frankly, a lie. We understand that Caesars (and more importantly, their private-equity owners) want a Fed system because it will give their individual company its highest-possible valuation (at least that’s what they’ve told investors). But for the foreseeable future, it’s not going to happen. So, better to make lemonade than sit around holding our breath waiting for things to change in D.C. From: John Pappas, PPA To: Joe Brennan, iMEGA ......

I am the first to admit that passage of a federal Internet poker bill has not moved as quickly as we would like, but that does not mean we should abandon ship. Over the past 12 months alone, there has been great momentum in favor of a federal bill. It started in December 2010 with the serious consideration by Majority Leader Reid to include Internet poker regulation language in the lame-duck package, and has led to earlier this summer when GOP Congressman Joe Barton introduced legislation to license and regulate online poker (the legislation currently has 25 co- sponsors, with more added each week).

The tide is turning, albeit slowly, and the Poker Players Alliance continues to believe that there is hope for an Internet poker bill at the federal level in the near term.

The PPA does recognize the benefits and value in individual states pushing for state-level action, and in fact has supported several of these efforts. This war for poker must be fought on all fronts. Yet, we remain concerned with several significant and inherent flaws with a state-only effort.

The most compelling issue with a state-by-state approach is that Internet poker is at its core a borderless and global activity. Americans, and other poker players worldwide, love to play online because of the great variety of players and games they encounter. Beginner poker players can find ample tables in which to learn their craft while wagering small amounts, novices can practice against players whose skill far exceeds their own, and professionals can find multiple opportunities to leverage their poker skills with some of the top players in the game.

Under a state licensing regime, the pool of players is limited to those within the state – a significant reduction in competition and types of hands available to play. While this may not be a deterrent to players at first, after several months of play it is likely that players will become bored and stop playing on state-sanctioned sites – either by moving to unlicensed and unsafe sites or by not playing at all. This would have a significant impact on the revenue estimates these states relied upon to pass Internet poker regulation to begin with.

Along with a limited pool of play under state licensing, this approach lends itself to the enemy of the free market and competition from a business perspective – a patchwork of state laws with which online operators will have to comply. The PPA and our friends at iMEGA have long touted how licensed and regulated online poker can be an economic boost by legitimizing a thriving industry and the job creation and entrepreneurialism that go along with it. Having 50 different regulatory regimes will not encourage new entrants to this market, and may even deter those who decide to obtain state licenses from doing so in more than one state.

Yes, Joe, I agree with you that the efforts in the states are helping to build the case for federal online poker regulation. Where we differ is in prioritizing state regulation over federal legislation. There is hope in Congress for a federal Internet poker licensing and regulatory bill, and we need all who support Americans’ freedom to play the great game of poker to rally behind federal efforts.

Fed or State? – The Great U.S. iGaming Regulation Debate From: Joe Brennan, iMEGA To: John Pappas, PPA ......

When it comes to federal legislation, it’s clear that I did not say, “Abandon ship.” What I did say was, in effect, that this navy ought to have more than one boat in the race, and if one is going faster, maybe it should see more support. Right now, the state-level initiatives are going “faster” than the Fed-level initiatives.

Yet not only is the faster boat lacking support from the Fed lobby, elements of the Fed lobby (yes, Caesars, I’m talking about you) have actively campaigned against state-level initiatives. Caesars has not done this in the guise of “best way for the players.” They’ve done this as “best way to pump our pre-IPO valuation.”

Also, your statement that “Internet poker is at its core a borderless and global activity” is simply not true. There is nothing inherent in Internet poker that requires a borderless environment. There are many who argue that there is insufficient “critical mass” of liquidity and players to support state-by-state play. If you want to hold the industry fixed within a pre-Black Friday world – which it obviously cannot be – then perhaps that would be correct. But there is nothing inherent in the game or the technology that requires this. Given that it only takes two players to have a cash game, online or offline, the logic simply doesn’t hold.

That’s not to say that large liquidity and player pools are not desirable. It seems that state lotteries believe they are, as they’ve banded together into interstate lottery compacts, like PowerBall and MegaMillions, to do just that (which technically violates the Wire Act, by the way). And, it is likely that states could and would do exactly the same thing with iGaming: advancing through a kind of “soft federalization.”

Also, your assertion that the state-by-state approach “lends itself to the enemy of the free market and competition from a business perspective” again fails the logic test. With multiple states offering multiple licenses, the contrary is true: the free market would rule out through increased competition for those franchises, rather than limiting the market to a small handful of “winners.”

The reality is that the Internet is already establishing borders, even within iGaming. Let’s set aside for the moment the fact that “states” small and large within the European Union (ranging from Denmark to Italy) are regulating the game at a profit on a dot-country basis. Establishing a federal system is also establishing an arbitrary “border” around a player pool. Given the past history of the industry, people can theoretically argue that even within a federal system, the player pool and liquidity would not be to their liking. Why? Because it would not be the same as was available pre-Black Friday.

The fact is, this industry’s regulatory environment is evolving (again, note the European Union). Business models will have to evolve with them, if progress is to be made.

So what is the choice here? “The world or bust?” “America or bust?” “New Jersey or bust?”

How about, “Walk and chew gum at the same time.”

I’m pretty sure the industry can bear dual efforts, if what it really wants is to get players into a safe, regulated environment where they can play again. From: John Pappas, PPA To: Joe Brennan, iMEGA ......

Joe, I think you and I agree more than it may seem. The bottom line is that both of our organizations want to ensure that Americans have the freedom to enjoy a hand of poker from their home computer – whether they choose to do so for recreation or for their profession. The efforts at the state level no doubt add to the momentum we are seeing in Congress. And while the PPA will continue to support select state efforts, a bulk of our resources will be committed to a federal solution for the time being.

What I think we should even further agree to is to work together to convince policymakers, and even the public to a certain extent, that the benefits of licensing and regulating online poker far outweigh any downsides. Poker, unlike state lotteries, roulette, slots and even the local church bingo game, is a game of skill, the fate of which predominately rests on the player’s choices versus the luck of the draw. Establishing a regulatory regime for online poker would not, as some opponents argue, bring a casino into every American home. What it would do is provide a safe marketplace for Americans to enjoy a pastime they love, while ensuring that those who operate those sites are legitimate and on the up and up. Plus, it has the added benefit of providing billions in state and federal revenue. That is money that is sorely needed given our nation’s current economic crisis.

I think it would be shortsighted and not in the players’ interest for any legislators, federal or state, to develop online poker legislation with revenue generation as the primary objective. Yes, it is a great benefit, but what players want – and our opponents, to be honest – is to know that the sites on which they play are safe, that some government entity has jurisdiction over the sites, and that they have some legal recourse should something nefarious occur. Given the fallout after Black Friday, I think players are placing a premium on playing on legitimate sites – if not, they would be flocking to those sites that choose to take their chances and offer U.S. play even after the clampdown by the Justice Department.

If lawmakers pass legislation that prioritizes consumer protection, the revenue and market benefits will follow. Companies that have clear rules and regulations will have more incentive to enter the market and provide a top-notch poker experience for Americans. Whether that experience will be provided by existing operators, land-based casinos or new entrepreneurs is yet to be seen.

This debate is encouraging to me in that it shows the passion for this issue and that interest in establishing a licensed and regulated online poker marketplace continues to grow. Yes, there are obstacles to overcome, but there is clear consumer demand and a thriving marketplace just waiting to be tapped. That is a recipe for a “win” for policymakers.

Fed or State? – The Great U.S. iGaming Regulation Debate 54 Gambling and the Law: California’s Unnecessary Delay

News commentary by I. Nelson Rose Do lawmakers in Sacramento really need tribal casinos. Unfortunately, none of the another half-year to study the issues? remaining “unresolved issues” seem all n August 22, 2011, California State that difficult to resolve: OSenate President Pro Tem Darrell For the record, the State Legislature Steinberg sent a letter announcing that spent only a few days deciding that 1. Tribal exclusivity - If that is an issue, the bills to legalize intrastate Internet California should have legal land- there is nothing more to discuss. A few Cal- poker would not be voted on this year. The based casinos. A senior Assembly staff ifornia tribes have taken the position that letter was also signed by Sen. Roderick member told the Los Angeles Times their compacts with the state, giving them D. Wright, Chair of the Governmental how Prop. 1A and the model compact the exclusive right to have slot machines Organization Committee, and author of passed in 1999: in return for revenue sharing, one of the bills. mean no one else can operate In- ternet poker. Their reasoning is Both legislators made it clear that a home personal computer they are in favor of Internet becomes a slot machine if used gaming; just not now. for online betting. If that were Indian tribes and other true, the state would already be Anyone receiving the letter in breach for having authorized knew it was going to be bad at-home wagering on horse news from the start. It opens groups on various sides races. Also, this is probably an with “Dear Stakeholder” – not ‘‘ argument most tribes would not exactly the warm salutation you of this issue are spending want to win, because California would expect from sophisticated would then have no reason not politicians. huge sums on lobbying, to authorize highly taxed, pri- vately owned land-based casinos. Sen. Steinberg told the Sacramento campaign contributions Bee that, although he person- 2.Waiver of sovereign im- ally supports legalizing Internet and consulting. The more munity - The state has signed gambling in California, he “does dozens of compacts with tribes not want any legislative action for both casinos and offtrack bet- on the issue this year.” this issue drags out – and ting. There is no reason for waiv- ers for online poker to be any dif- Why the delay? After admitting the more that lawmak- ferent from those prior compacts. that the issue has been studied for the past three years, includ- ers can gin up drama and 3.The types of games - Sports ing “numerous hearings” and betting is prohibited by the fed- “hours of testimony over the stress over it – the more eral Professional and Amateur last several months,” Senators Sports Protection Act. Remote Steinberg and Wright declare: betting on horse racing is al- money will flow through ready legal in California. No “Despite these efforts, signifi- one is seriously thinking about cant, unresolved issues remain, the Capitol.” competing against the California including tribal exclusivity and State Lottery, one of the largest waiver of sovereign immunity, in the world. Bingo is limited to the types of games that would be autho- “It was a stacked deck. It just sailed charities and tribes, and would require an rized, who would be eligible to apply for through both houses in three days with- amendment to the California Constitution gaming site licenses and potential federal out a single genuine public hearing, with to allow private operators. Casino gaming constitutional questions.” hurry-up legislative hearings often held is also limited by the Constitution to feder- in out-of-the-way conference rooms, and ally recognized tribes. So the only game that The State Legislature goes into Interim after hours of closed-door negotiations could attract competitive bids from card Study Recess on Sept. 9. We fully expect between the governor, legislators and clubs and outside corporations is poker. an objective proposal will be developed Indian representatives.” during the interim. The G.O. Committee 4. Who would be eligible to apply - will hold a hearing in January 2012. But, maybe the legal issues involving This is obviously the big money question. Internet gambling are more complicated Politically, at least one of the licenses has than those surrounding Nevada-style to go to a consortium of tribes, and one

Gambling and the Law: California’s Unnecessary Delay 54

to a consortium of card clubs. But politi- But, the Sacramento Bee may have been A careful reading of the letter makes it cians are looking at legalizing online poker the first to publish what a lot of us have clear that the politicians in Sacramento not to protect local operators, but to raise been thinking. An editorial on August want additional input: Toward that end we money, because the state is desperate for 19, 2011, three days before the Dear strongly encourage you, as a Stakeholder, revenue. So, at least one license has to go Stakeholder letter, began: to be actively engaged during the interim to an outside company with more money in helping craft this objective proposal. than any California operator, such as Cae- “Whether or not they are in support or sars or Bwin/Party. The only question opposition, lawmakers are unlikely to And Stakeholders should be prepared is whether there will be a limited num- take decisive action until the last pos- to write additional checks in 2012, 2013 ber of at least three licenses, or unlim- sible moment on two bills to legalize and 2014. ited to any operator with enough money. Internet poker and other forms of gam- bling in California.” Next year is the presidential election, and 5.Potential federal constitutional one-third of the California Senate and 100 questions - This is probably a reference Why? percent of the State Assembly seats will to the position by the Department of Jus- be decided. So the few million dollars that tice under Pres. George W. Bush that even These two bills are the ultimate juice bills are being spent on Internet poker will be intrastate Internet poker violates the Wire of the session. Indian tribes and other unnoticed in the coming flood of political Act. Since then, courts have ruled that the groups on various sides of this issue are solicitations and donations. Wire Act does not apply to poker. But, if in- spending huge sums on lobbying, cam- trastate poker violates federal law, there is paign contributions and consulting. The If Internet gambling is not made legal in nothing more to discuss. more this issue drags out – and the more California next year, the bills have to be that lawmakers can gin up drama and introduced, again, in 2013. The California So, why the delay? Maybe the senators re- stress over it – the more money will flow Legislature meets in two-year sessions. ally do have questions like these, which through the Capitol. Bills like this, even without the incentive could be answered quickly by any com- of big-money donations to drag things petent gaming lawyer. Or maybe they are The Bee and other newspapers have been out, are only voted on in even years. still trying to negotiate the political fight reporting on the millions of dollars being © Copyright 2011, all rights reserved worldwide. Gambling among various tribal factions, card clubs, spent on these bills. The lobbying has be- and the Law® is a registered trademark of Professor I. Nelson tracks and others over how many licenses come so lucrative that it has even attract- Rose, www.GamblingAndTheLaw.com. will be issued, and to whom. ed such political heavyweights as former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, hired by the Morongo tribe as a consultant.

Gambling and the Law: California’s Unnecessary Delay MEET THE AFFILIATE MANAGER 57

Stefanie Johnson Gould and the rest of the man- MEET THE agement team at BetCroc Affiliates bring some- thing unique to online gaming: solid background AFFILIATE in the brick-and-mortar side of our industry, ac- quired at several major Las Vegas casinos. The MANAGER transition has taught Stefanie one thing: the core desires of players at land-based and online venues are fundamentally the same, but the way the gaming experience is delivered is different. The challenge for her and her colleagues? Ramp up fast and engage their players without the big budgets and sup- port mechanisms they had in Las Vegas – and so far things are looking pretty good!

STEFANIE JOHNSON GOULD BetCroc Affiliates

When did BetCroc launch its casino works. We have a different ap- a new industry, build relation- and affiliate program? What kind proach to rewarding our players, ships and deliver results with- of feedback have you received celebrating their winnings and out the massive budgets and from players and affiliates so far? developing personal relationships support mechanisms of the big We have just recently launched. – all critical to our success. boys in Las Vegas. Players are very happy with the betcroc.com gaming experience, What prompted you, and other How did the events of “Black Fri- service and offerings and affili- members of the BetCroc team, day” affect BetCroc’s plans? Had ates love the support they get. We to decide to take the leap from you ever planned on accepting have personal relationships with the brick-and-mortar to the on- U.S. players? Really they have our affiliates; we con- line business? And why Costa only helped BetCroc. We have sider them part of the Rica? Las Vegas and its pri- never had a desire to attract the “We love to hear BetCroc family. Our re- marily U.S. player base was an U.S. market and still do not. Af- lationships are not just amazing career location for ev- filiates and players have appreci- from everyone, online, but we are also ery senior member of the Bet- ated this by flocking to BetCroc, connected through Sky- Croc team. With other projects knowing that we are legitimate implementing pe regularly and some slated soon in Costa Rica, the and will not risk our integrity, suggestions and of our affiliates have global gaming arena seemed a their deposits, winnings and/or even visited BetCroc in natural next step. With iGam- commissions and will be here for great thinking Costa Rica. ing on the rise, we decided it the long haul. was time to join this worldwide all the time. We One of BetCroc’s sell- winning industry. BetCroc Affiliates offer a 30 - per do not pretend ing points is that your cent revenue share plan with no management, includ- You’ve been with BetCroc for negative carryover. What were to have all the ing your president, only a few months. How would the factors that went into the de- Rory Hascall, have a you compare this experience cision to only do revenue share answers, and we background in brick- thus far to your time with deals with affiliates? At the end listen well.” and-mortar casinos in Harrah’s, New York - New York of the day, we want to keep things Las Vegas. How does and the Station Casinos? It has simple and transparent and not that experience trans- been a learning experience at cloud “true” commission percent- late to an online casino envi- every turn and I am loving it. ages with chargebacks, deduc- ronment? At BetCroc we have a While there are fundamentally tions and marketing expenses true understanding of what the the same core desires of the that are variable in nature, which gambler wants in a gaming ex- players, the delivery of the gam- is why we are offering the 30 per- perience. Because we’ve been re- ing experience is different. Sup- cent as an initial offering to give sponsible for millions of dollars pliers, recruiting and the me- affiliates the ability to try the sim- in revenues at all the best casinos, dium itself by which we engage ple approach as a Croc Affiliate. such as MGM Resorts, Harrah’s the players have all had to be Affiliates will quickly be able to Entertainment and Station Casi- relearned in some cases. I have see what they are really earning, nos, we quite simply know what had to ramp up very quickly in comparing it side by side to other

Affiliate Manager Interview Series MEET THE AFFILIATE MANAGER 57

offerings. We are quite certain that Bet- panies will survive and be stronger than If you could go anywhere on vacation, Croc is a better bet financially for affiliates ever. So, fewer but stronger operators do- where would you go? Tahiti. Love the and their players. Revenue share is some- ing the right thing by players and affiliates over-the-water bungalow pictures. Seems thing we have chosen as it is also clear and is what I see. my husband and I would have an amaz- concise. We win-you win revenue share ing time. creates the business environment which What are your impressions of Costa Rica? we like to “share in” with affiliates. How does it compare to California or Las If you could have dinner with three other Vegas? I love the “Pura Vida” of Costa people, living or dead, who would they What distinguishes the BetCroc brand Rica. The living of life is so important to be? Jesus Christ, Bill Gates and Richard from other online gaming companies? its people and is evident in their gracious- Stearns (president of World Vision). And what distinguishes BetCroc Affiliates ness and warmth. The beach and amazing from other affiliate programs? The Bet- rain forest on the Central Pacific Coast What are three things that no one knows Croc brand is one of integrity, innovation where BetCroc is located are not bad, ei- about you? and truly personal service. Players and ther. Las Vegas and California will always 1. I was the center on my high-school bas- affiliates alike can reach us directly; we be considered home, but Costa Rica is a ketball team. will give straight answers and be trans- real jewel. parent. We love to hear from everyone, 2. I was responsible for a million-dollar implementing suggestions and great What are your favorite places to go, party at New York - New York for the thinking all the time. We do not pretend whether it be for business or on vacation? grand opening of Zumanity by Cirque du to have all the answers, and we listen I just returned from a vacation in Mon- Soleil. well. We appeal to every type of player. tana. Love the wide open spaces, wildlife 3. I have a Doberman named Cinder and We will maintain a rich portfolio of the and breathtaking nature. God’s splendor she is so very loving. best casino games and some will soon to on display. be offered with live dealers. We also have great odds in our sportsbook with Rory What was your favorite part of working Hascall, our president, personally mak- on the Las Vegas Strip? Is there anything ing our lines daily and all major tracks about Las Vegas that you miss? Oh, I covered for our race enthusiasts. still love Las Vegas. One of my favorite things about Las Vegas is the culture of How do you ensure that payments are “change.” Something is always changing, sent out on time? And when do your pay- being built or imagined and then actu- ments go out? Affiliate payments are to ally executed. It never slows or settles in be received by the affiliates by the 10th like some places. My family is all in Las of each month. We monitor this elec- Vegas, so yes, I miss them and Las Vegas tronically and have a team of dedicated because they are all there. professionals who personally monitor this as well. Check and double-check. What’s the best movie food? Fun ques- We take into account the major world- tion. Twizzlers. They are low fat, but you wide holidays and naturally weekends still get some sugar so they are a real treat and adjust our schedule accordingly so on special occasions. Okay, that sounded that affiliates know what to expect every very WeightWatchers didn’t it? month like clockwork. What is the last book you read? Did you What have you learned in your short time enjoy it? And did you read it on an e- in the online side of the gambling in- reader? Or do you need to have a copy dustry? What do you know now that you of the physical book in your hand? I like wish you had known when you decided a physical book, to be honest, but I have to make the leap to the online industry? been talking Kindle lately because physi- I have learned that online gaming is a cal books stack up at home. I am reading robust industry unto itself with new and a series called Left Behind by Tim LaHaye exciting professionals with whom to inter- and Jerry B. Jenkins. face. I personally wish I would have started building my iGaming relationships earlier What is your favorite movie? Easy – Top in my career instead of having to develop Gun, of course. What does that tell you them after I made the leap. about my age?

Where do you think the industry will be If you had a theme song, what would it be? in five years? Thriving, no doubt. With Fergie – “Big Girls Don’t Cry.” There is so growth year over year still the reality, I do much to be thankful for, why spend your see this trend continuing and wish to have time crying? a long career with BetCroc. Some opera- tors will go legitimate and credible com-

Affiliate Manager Interview Series

GPWA SPONSORS 61

eet the organizations whose generous, enthusiastic sponsorship helps keep us M strong. Platinum, gold or silver, the people behind these GPWA-sponsor programs are ready to provide you with the sophisticated tools and expertise you need to maximize your conversions and your revenues. Visit the Affiliate Programs section of GPWA.org for more information about each program.

Platinum Sponsors

acerevenue.com affcorner.com affiliateedge.com affutd.com [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

affiliates.awhpoker.com bet365affiliates.com bingocamspartners.com bodogaffiliate.com [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

clubgoldcasino.com/partners commission.bz c-planet.com crazyrewards.com [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

europartners.com everestaffiliates.com fortuneaffiliates.com g2affiliates.com [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

genesysaffiliates.com intpar.com interpartners.com intertops.com/affiliate [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

GPWA Sponsors GPWA SPONSORS 61

isispartner.com jetbull.com/affiliate mainstreetaffiliates.com partners.mybet.com [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

pokerhost.com rummyaffiliates.com slotlandaffiliates.com stanjamesaffiliates.com [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

totesport.com/affiliates uffiliates.com winneraffiliates.com partners.youwin.com [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Gold Sponsors

affiliateclub.com betcroc.com affiliates.betfair.com affiliates.casinocreed.com [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

castleaffiliates.com dublinbet.com/lp/affiliates.html gentingaffiliates.com ggsaffiliates.com [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

victorsaffiliates.com [email protected]

GPWA Sponsors GPWA SPONSORS

Silver Sponsors

affactive.com betfredaffiliates.com brightshare.com caiaffiliates.com cakepokeraffiliates.com

canaffco.com centrebetaffiliates.com chipsplit.com class1affiliates.com commissionking.com

gowildcasino.com/affiliates gururevenue.com incomeaccess.com livecasinopartners.com affiliates.mansion.com

mojoaffiliates.com moneybookers.com/ads/affiliates redreturns.com referback.com rewardsaffiliates.com

romepartners.com roxyaffiliates.com starpartner.eu affiliate.wagerjunction.com

GPWA Sponsors

64

WALL OF SHAME by J. Todd, While these are all legitimate questions, each jurisdiction would line up and we’d Executive Director, APCW where was the call for transparency when have a vote. But we don’t live in a perfect the UIGEA was passed by Congress thanks world. The provision passed, and the city nless there’s massive popular ap- to then Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist’s is moving forward. peal among voters and a wave backroom deal to attach it to a must-pass Uof political will for a new policy, Safe Ports bill? Where were the stories The mucking muckrakers at the Wash- most game-changing policies in the U.S. linking the campaign donations from the ington Post, however, seem to be doing (whether at the federal, state or local lev- horse racing industry to Rep. Bob Good- just as much to derail the implementa- el) eventually materialize through some latte (R-Va.), a longtime proponent of tion of online gambling in the District as sort of backroom deal. It’s probably not online gambling restrictions who made they can, justifying their efforts under the way that politics should work in an sure to exclude horse racing in every bill the guise of wanting to see more trans- ideal world, but hey, you’ve gotta play the he proposed on the measure? And that’s parency from city government. But when cards you’re dealt, right? the editorial board sees is- sues they support pass in You’d think that the edito- the same manner, well rial board at the Washing- then it’s fine to just look ton Post would realize this. the other way. I mean, they only cover the world’s most fractious po- Seems almost as disingenu- litical body, the U.S. Con- ous as saying that they’re gress. Their offices are a “shocked – shocked – to mere two miles from the find that gambling is going U.S. Capitol building. So on in here!” their indignation at the way that legislation that would regulate Internet gambling passed in the Washington, D.C., city council seems a little heavy-handed.

A series of news stories and editorials in the Post has called out the way in which the bill was to say nothing of the way the REST of the passed (as a small part of the city’s budget political goals of BOTH political parties resolution), the motivations of those be- have been accomplished on issues with a hind the promotion of Internet gambling much broader scope than Internet gam- (city councilman Michael Brown was paid bling in this country. more than six figures by a firm that has an interest in seeing Internet gambling regu- Based on what we’ve heard from lots of lated in the U.S.), and the wisdom and people inside the industry (and even from feasibility of regulating Internet gambling some who oppose it) most lawmakers see within the District. Internet poker in the U.S. as “inevitable.” In a perfect world, all the politicians in

APCW’s Wall of Shame 6)3)453!4 777%52/0!24.%23#/-