GPWA Times Magazine
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SEO: In-House Team, Hired Gun or LETTER FROM 13 Agency – What Are My Options? You know you need to do SEO, and Paul Reilly is THE DIRECTOR here to give you the pros and cons of several ways to get it done. his issue of the GPWA Times Magazine – the T 15th – will be distributed in London at three January events – the Legal Gaming in Europe Conference, ICE and the London Affiliate Conference (LAC). I hope to see lots of you there. By the way, if 14 The Case for Poker Affiliate Networks you’re still looking for a good New Year’s resolution, Jeremy Enke makes the case for why poker how about deciding to make 2011 the year you affiliates networks should be a big part of the attend your first industry event?! future of the industry. Our cover story this time around provides an in-depth dissection of – YOU. Participation in our first annual Membership Survey was excellent, Cover Story: and the results were interesting, informative and 36 GPWA Membership Survey often surprising. We hope you enjoy reading about Our members tell us 2011 will be the best year GPWA yourselves. And, as “first annual” implies, we’ll be ever, or at least better than 2010. See what else doing this every year. they say in our first annual survey! Executive Director: Michael Corfman Also not to be missed: five new affiliate Marketing Director: interviews; four new affiliate manager interviews; Andrea Mullaney Jeremy Enke’s take on the advantages for poker Program Manager: affiliates who promote through a network; Aaron Always on the Lookout Steven Corfman 48 Todd’s absorbing interview with Affiliate Guard Aaron Todd clues us in on what makes Affiliate Forum Moderator: Dog’s Andy Mueller; and Paul Reilly’s superb Guard Dog’s Andy Mueller tick in an up-close Anthony Telesca discussion of an affiliate’s SEO options. and personal interview with one of the most Program Coordinator: respected members of our industry. Nancy Troy Vin Narayanan, with camera in hand, found time GPWA Times Magazine to explore the streets of Budapest during the Budapest Affiliate Conference. You can see the Managing Editor: results in this issue. And be sure to check out the Vin Narayanan Departments for the latest news, numbers and Senior Editor: ALSO IN THIS ISSUE quotes from the good guys and the bad guys in Aaron Todd Associate Editor: and around our industry. 16 Budapest in Photos Dan Igo Copy Chief: Before signing off I’d like to say a few words about my 65 In Memoriam – Ted (Spearmaster) Loh Bill Riley good friend Ted (Spearmaster) Loh, who passed away Designer: just a short time after we lost Allan (Captain) Leonard George Choi and Lou (Professor) Fabiano. I first got to know Ted DEPARTMENTS Advertising well when he and I and a few other webmaster pioneers would meet back in the early days of 6 Webmaster News To advertise in the GPWA eCOGRA to provide advice and input and to discuss Times, please e-mail: 8 By the Numbers what we thought they could do to make a difference. [email protected] Ted was one of a small circle of folks I always tried 10 Cartoon Caption Contest Subscriptions to spend time with when we found ourselves at the 22 Affiliate Interview Series same conference, which happened pretty often. For a FREE subscription to 47 Event Calendar the GPWA Times Magazine, visit: gpwatimes.com Ted, I always enjoyed our times together. I’ll miss 54 Affiliate Manager Interviews you, friend. 62 GPWA Sponsors Sincerely, 68 APCW’s Wall of Shame Michael A. Corfman ISSN 1941-9872 GPWA Executive Director WEBMASTER NEWS QUOTABLES Full Tilt, PokerStars leave Washington “We do have a statute in By Aaron Todd real-money games if they are located Nevada that would allow for outside of the state’s borders. online gambling. It’s something nternet poker players in the state we’ve given quite a lot of Iof Washington were dealt a blow This difference may provide some solace thought to over the years.” last fall when PokerStars and Full to professional players who live in the – Nevada Gaming Control Board Tilt Poker announced players from state – they’ll be able to play games on Chairman Dennis Neilander the state will no longer be able to play Full Tilt when they travel to tournaments. real-money games on their sites. Additionally, they could keep their “We do not believe Internet permanent residence in Washington gambling and sports betting The decisions came in response to the and set up an apartment as an “office” will grow the overall market state’s Supreme Court ruling that a state in Oregon, Idaho or British Columbia because consumers will law making Internet gambling a Class C with the express purpose of playing their continue to feel pressure from felony was constitutional. online poker outside of the state. economic forces such as high unemployment for some time. We expect revenue would go in PokerStars and Full Tilt account for the CEREUS Network sites (e.g., UB.com, one pocket and out the other as vast majority of Internet poker play in the Absolute Poker), Cake Poker Network gaming companies use different United States and in the world. According sites (e.g., Cake Poker, Doyles Room, forms of gambling to vie for the to PokerScout.com, the sites account for Victory Poker), Merge Network sites (e.g., same customer base.” more than two-thirds of Internet poker Carbon Poker, Sportsbook.com Poker, – Moody’s Investors Service, in a report traffic, with only five other rooms or Players Only Poker) and Bodog Poker about New Jersey legalizing online networks that allow U.S. players averaging are the largest available Internet poker gambling and sports betting more than 500 players at a time over the rooms now available to residents of the last several months. Evergreen State. “The industry now recognizes the opportunity that online gaming Full Tilt’s policy regarding play from could provide. It presents a Washington residents varies slightly different experience than visiting from that of PokerStars. Most notably, a casino, and in our view, it PokerStars does not allow residents would not cannibalize brick-and- of the state to play real-money games mortar, particularly if it was even when they are traveling outside of poker-only legislation.” the state’s borders. Full Tilt, however, – American Gaming Association allows Washington residents to play President and Chief Executive Frank Fahrenkopf “There is illegal betting in every country in the world. Some [countries] are more effective [in preventing it] than others but not necessarily free of this new scourge of sports.” – IOC president Jacques Rogge “If this passes it could be a tipping point for online “We are disappointed that gambling. They’ve already Congress failed to act and showed that casino gambling provide the necessary consumer could be regulated and “Making a BIG move . leaving protections and sensible oversight successful outside of Nevada.” UB. Truly lots of great memories, over this multi-billion-dollar – David G. Schwartz, director for but it’s time to move on . industry. Sadly, some politicians gaming research with the University of Mutual decision . Looking remain with their heads firmly in forward to BRIGHT future!” the sand.” Nevada Las Vegas, discussing possible – Phil Hellmuth, on his Twitter – John Pappas, executive director of New Jersey online gambling legislation account, announcing he is leaving the Poker Players Alliance, in an e-mail UB.com to ESPN.com Webmaster News WEBMASTER NEWS Efforts for federal regulation fall short in lame duck session By Vin Narayanan the House Financial Services Commit- Port Security Act, so passing online poker tee again. legislation in this fashion would be poetic ovember and December were not justice. But presidential politics entered Nkind to those looking to pass pro-on- As a result, online gambling advocates the equation and quashed Reid’s efforts. line gambling legislation through the U.S. pinned their hopes for a Christmas mir- President Barack Obama cut Reid out Congress. In November, the Republican acle on the most powerful Democrat in of the picture on the tax-cuts legislation Party – which crafted and passed the Un- the Senate, Senate Majority Leader Har- and negotiated a deal directly with the lawful Internet Gambling Enforcement ry Reid. Reid had just survived a bruis- Republicans. As a result, Reid never had Act in 2006 – gained control of the House ing election contest in part because of a chance to attach his online poker bill. of Representatives. the backing of Nevada’s big casino com- Other bills passed by the lame-duck Sen- panies. According to the Center for Re- ate in December would have been bogged The elections results meant that in sponsive Politics, Caesars Entertainment down by Sen. Jon Kyl’s opposition to all January, the chairmanship of the pow- (formerly Harrah’s) and MGM Resorts forms of Internet gambling, and as a re- erful House Financial Services Com- International combined to give $375,000 sult, Reid’s bill died. mittee was transferred from online to a third-party group that ran commer- gaming proponent Rep. Barney Frank cials for Reid. And the employees of Cae- Reid has promised to try to pass online (D-Mass.) to staunch online gaming op- sars and MGM donated money directly to poker legislation again this year, but with ponent Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.). Reid’s campaign coffers. The top priority the House now under Republican control In Congress, committee chairmen wield of these companies was legalizing online – and firmly opposed to online gambling most of the power.