Can an iGaming Affiliate Become a Successful Operator?

In theory, online gambling affiliates who wish to start their own gaming website have significant advantages. Such affiliates already have expertise in marketing and a steady flow of traffic to their would-be standalone project. But there is significantly more to becoming an iGaming operator.

Case for Affiliates to Become Casino Operators

Affiliates are dependent on operators as operators aim to keep their valuable affiliate partners close. They offer them sweet deals, such as lifetime revenue share of 50% and higher (if that makes sense, of course). But it works the other way, too. Operators need affiliates badly, as the latter guide curious players towards casino and betting websites, contributing to the operators’ success significantly.

Just like all iGaming warriors out there, affiliates constantly keep their ears to the ground for emerging regulations and emerging iGaming markets. For an affiliate with spare capital such industry knowledge – coupled with easy access to traffic ready for monetisation – can become a step towards bigger plans: starting an online gambling website of their own.

Industry Overview

The online gaming industry is a living system which cannot function properly without interconnected parties. Online casinos rely on affiliate partners for as much as 60 to 80% of their overall traffic. Let’s scratch the surface of who is who in this industry.

The Role of Technical Providers

Software platform providers, such as SOFTSWISS, supply the technical core of your business and take care of maintenance, business continuity, and technical support.  By choosing the right iGaming platform provider you lay the foundation for a smooth start of an online casino or sportsbook.

A typical iGaming platform consists of a robust CRM or player account management (PAM) module, a bonus system, a reporting engine etc. Plus it carries integrations with payment systems, game providers, suppliers of sports odds, and affiliate systems.

Speaking of the look of a new website, an affiliate has to consider, whether they as an operator want to provide a unique gaming experience through a custom frontend developed by an experienced team or rely on responsive template designs.

The software provider will not just be there for the technical side of things, but can also cover issues relating to payment processing and licence acquisition. In this sense, the operator and the technical provider need to find common ground to achieve their goals.

So Many Different Game Vendors

Gaming content comes from a huge number of game providers, or game vendors. These are softwre studios that create RNG games appearing in online casinos.

It is possible to make an effort and to turn to everyone directly or, alternatively, get a “one-stop-shop” package from one supplier through a Game Aggregator.

We at SOFTSWISS work with dozens of game vendors which offer content to suit every taste. Our managers share data-driven insights about games and game vendors so that our clients (casino operators) can make better business and marketing decisions.

What Kind of Beast Are Regulators

Obtaining a gambling licence for the legal operation of an online casino or sports betting website is one of the most crucial steps in launching an iGaming business. If you’re driving traffic worldwide, two common choices for licensing jurisdictions are Curacao and Malta.

A Curacao gambling licence offers a relatively quick start in the global gambling market. It’s a cost-effective solution that opens up a variety of gaming content for your website, plus it permits cryptocurrency processing if crypto traffic is your strong focus.

A Maltese licence issued by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) on the other hand is generally viewed as a more robust licensing option. While the MGA rigidly scrutinises its licensees, casinos launched under this licence typically experience fewer headaches with payment processing partners. Such websites are also perceived as more trustworthy in certain EU countries and are therefore more eagerly promoted by affiliate networks.

Of course, acquiring a licence involves navigating through numerous legal and banking challenges. For those ready to take this step, or for those who already own a gambling licence, a Turnkey Casino Solution becomes an ideal option for launching and running your casino operations. It’s a robust choice for affiliates transitioning to operators who wish to maintain autonomy over their business. In short, this approach allows you to capitalise on expert support in critical areas such as software support, game content integration, and day-to-day operational management – facilitating your focus on driving traffic and growing your iGaming venture in a more personalised and autonomous way.

Casino Website Promotion: an Upgrade to Player Acquisition

It may seem like being an affiliate with heaps of traffic takes care of online casino marketing. That is true to an extent, but iGaming affiliate marketing is layered and complex. 

The essence of growing your website is not in the traffic itself. It is important not only to acquire new players, but to keep them interested and make them come back regularly – player retention.

Vital parts of player retention include: setting up bonus campaigns, developing a comprehensive VIP or loyalty program, awarding players with perks for specific achievements, holding regular contests or raffles, and just keeping them informed about new games and updates.

Eventually, your goal is to launch a high-quality website on a reliable platform with well-known gaming content, plus putting your own unique spin on it, if you excuse the pun.  It takes time to develop a satisfying retention strategy, no matter how experienced and professional of an affiliate you are.

(Incidentally, SOFTSWISS helps with such a complex aspect as player retention, too.)

To Be or Not to Be (an Operator)

Affiliates can become successful operators only if they are backed by a powerful gambling platform and provided they have a solid marketing and player retention plan. Invest in a stable product that converts, focus on player retention, on snowballing traffic, and build a responsive customer care team.

Quite a few online casino operators who use the SOFTSWISS software platform had been prominent in the affiliate industry before deciding to launch their online casinos with us – to great success. Our company has been providing such operators with all the necessary operational and affiliate marketing technology, while they have been employing their vast affiliate experience to gain an edge over their competitors. 

If you are an iGaming affiliate who has read this piece to the very end, don’t hesitate to reach out and, perhaps, build something great together.