Interview with Edward Tabus and Brendon Spiteri – Insights on Trust and Transparency in iGaming Affiliate Marketing

Company: Affiliate Roulette & Affiliate Leaders (SBC)
Interviewee: Edward Tabus & Brendon Spiteri
Interview Date: 07/10/2024
Edward LinkedIn: Click Here
Brendon LinkedIn: Click Here

In an exclusive interview presented by The Inside Bet, in collaboration with Affiliate Roulette, we had the privilege of conversing with Edward Tabus and Brendon Spiteri. As we delve into the dynamic world of iGaming, Edward and Brendon graciously share their valuable insights on trust and transparency in affiliate marketing, highlighting the latest industry trends and growth strategies.

What are the fundamental elements that contribute to building trust between affiliates and operators?

Edward: Building trust between affiliates and operators hinges on openness and transparency. Affiliates need to share data, such as web traffic, but the most crucial aspect is providing reviews on past performance and FTD (First Time Deposit) volume. Just as we read reviews before purchasing products or services, operators should have access to similar reviews in the affiliate industry. Operators invest thousands of dollars in listing fees and high CPA deals, so having a platform to review an affiliate’s history is essential.

This is the main reason we created Affiliate Roulette. It provides a space for Affiliate Managers to vet and verify affiliates, while also allowing affiliates to build their professional reputation, grow their brand, and become strategic partners for casinos. Additionally, Affiliate Managers should be more open in their dialogues with affiliates. Often, Affiliate Managers ask about traffic sources and past performance, but these vetting questions aren’t always the best indicators. A website with low traffic doesn’t necessarily mean an affiliate isn’t valuable; they might drive traffic through SMS, email, or other channels.

Trust and transparency in these partnerships start with the Affiliate Managers. I believe all should use Affiliate Roulette as a vetting tool. When new affiliates reach out to Affiliate Managers via email or Skype, they should provide their Affiliate Roulette URL. Casino brands can even add a field on their registration form for this URL. If Affiliate Managers and heads of affiliates adopt this practice, it will push the industry toward a trust and performance-based system. However, for it to be effective, all parties must use Affiliate Roulette as intended to prevent fraud, otherwise affiliates will continue to provide false data and scam operators.

Brendon: The fundamental element that contributes towards building trust between the advertiser and the publisher is understanding both sides of the coin, the publisher’s challenges are different than the advertiser’s, so discussing the concerns and finding a mutual agreement will benefit in building trust and understanding between the companies.

While both sides work differently from each other you can still find a mutual agreement both sides want to earn revenue and grow, so finding solutions for both parties will strengthen the relationship.

How can operators and affiliates ensure transparency in their communication and dealings with each other?

Edward: Operators and affiliates can ensure transparency in their communications by affiliates providing accurate and verifiable data from their past partners or websites. With the advancement of technology, there is a risk of bad affiliates supplying false data or altered screenshots of past results, which it happens with a lot of affiliates. To build trust, Affiliate Managers need to establish and follow stringent vetting protocols from the outset.

Both parties must be committed to sharing factual resources to create a relationship founded on trust. If an affiliate resists providing transparent information, they should be deprioritized. Often, Affiliate Managers rush into partnerships in their eagerness to secure traffic quickly, leading to insufficient vetting and allowing fraudulent affiliates to slip through the cracks. Ensuring transparency requires diligence, patience, and a thorough vetting process to foster genuine, trustworthy partnerships.

Brendon: A main point of contact will always build a healthy relationship between the companies as both sides will know they’re speaking to someone directly, also being responsive to any concerns from both sides and keeping each other in the loop on updates for any ongoing issues or concerns.

Data is key when it comes to Affiliate marketing so understanding and explaining how data is developing will help both parties as it will have a mutual understanding of how everything is developing. 

Are there any industry standards or best practices for ensuring transparency between affiliates and operators?

Edward: There really isn’t. There is no set of standards and the common practice the industry follows is a trial-and-error mindset which just keeps repeating the same mistakes. The traditional approach of signing on affiliates based on a simple screenshot of past work and granting them substantial listing fees is outdated. The industry must adopt new vetting processes and incorporate modern standards and best practices that are proven successful in today’s world. 

In today’s world, information is plentiful, and no one must make blind decisions. People do their research; they share information and knowledge which provides transparency for others. Businesses thrive from this, using this transparency as a creditable source of public trust. This is what Affiliate Roulette brings to the table. We have applied what is making businesses successful today to gambling affiliation, creating the tools needed for both sides of the industry to adopt these standards and best practices. I believe that in the coming year, Affiliate Roulette will become a mainstream, industry-standard tool used by both affiliate managers and affiliates.

Let me give you an example. When an affiliate reaches out to a casino, they should automatically send their Affiliate Roulette URL to allow the affiliate managers to review their past performance and feedback. On the other side, affiliate managers should incorporate Affiliate Roulette into their vetting process. A proper industry standard process for Affiliate Managers should include the following steps:

1. Request Profiles: When affiliates reach out, ask for their Affiliate Roulette profile URL to verify their reputation within the community. If they don’t have one, encourage them to create one (it’s free).

2. Check Affiliate Reviews: Make it a routine to check Affiliate Roulette for reviews and feedback on potential affiliates before entering into agreements.

3. Leave Feedback: Ensure you leave feedback on partners you have worked with to contribute to the community and help others make informed decisions.

4. Encourage Affiliates to Join: Motivate affiliates to create profiles on Affiliate Roulette to establish their credibility and transparency.

5. Add Affiliate Roulette Area to Registration: Include a dedicated field on your affiliate registration form that asks for the affiliate’s Affiliate Roulette URL, allowing affiliate managers to review them before approving.

Brendon: Due to the complexity and how much Digital marketing changes over time, there is never a ‘’1 glove fits all,’’ approach and again this will go back into the discussion from both parties, having mutual agreement on how the affiliate will drive traffic and by the operator offering the best campaign they can, which is in line with the traffic sources to ensure the best conversion rate possible, will help to find the common ground needed.

What are the common challenges or barriers to achieving transparency between affiliates and operators, and how can they be overcome?

Edward: One of the common challenges to achieving transparency between affiliates and operators is dishonest affiliates who provide false or altered data, which undermines trust and complicates the establishment of genuine partnerships. Conversely, it’s crucial for casinos to be transparent with affiliates about what they offer and how they can support them. I’ve seen instances where affiliate managers onboard a new affiliate but then fail to respond for a week when the affiliate is trying to set up their brand. This lack of communication is problematic because successful partnerships require mutual transparency and support from both parties.

Another common challenge between operators and affiliates is blame for poor performance. Operators pay $300 per CPA and receive low value traffic that doesn’t return, leading them to blame the affiliate for providing fake stats and lying about performance. The affiliate claims the brand doesn’t convert and players don’t like your terms. It’s a never-ending cycle of finger pointing caused by the lack of transparency. If there was transparency, it would be clear which side needed improvement.

It’s essential to educate both affiliates and affiliate managers about the importance of trust and transparency. For example, when new affiliates reach out and may not have significant results to speak of, affiliate managers could suggest, “Why don’t you join Affiliate Roulette, build up your reputation, make new connections, and once you have some data, come back and we can discuss collaboration?” This approach not only values time but also focuses on educating and supporting smaller affiliates, which is critical for fostering trustworthy and transparent partnerships in the future. 

Affiliates can also join affiliate communities such as Affiliate Leaders with SBC. These communities allow affiliates to engage with peers, discuss industry news, and enhance their professional growth within the iGaming space.

Brendon: The 3 most common challenges that frequently come up when it comes to Affiliate marketing are Scams (Fake Traffic or Company Impersonation), Low-Quality Traffic and Low-Quality Campaigns. The following tips can assist in solving these –

• Scams – Always know who you’re dealing with on a face level, quick call or meet them at conferences, Advertisers and Publishers will need to approach this on a different matter from both sides. 

1. Advertisers – Start working on a small budget and increase in increments Week on Week, never start with a new company that is not known in the industry on a full amount. Also having connections with other advertisers and asking will help you calculate the risk.

2. Publishers- Similar to advertisers having connections with other Publishers would help you understand how the advertiser operates and for payment models, CPA or Listing fee will ensure commitment from the Publisher.

• Low-Quality Traffic – For an Advertiser to understand if there is low-quality traffic, benchmarking your traffic sources and how they perform with your campaigns is always a beneficial idea as you can always put a number to it when discussing with the Publisher. Without data, you cannot assume low-quality traffic as this discussion will just turn around and say ‘’what if your campaign is low quality’’?

• Low Quality Campaign- Low Quality Campaigns will usually have 3 major signs to look at, understanding if the landing page is mobile first/desktop first, Native language translations or copy-pasted AI generation and a Complicated Landing page without a clear CTA.

Ensuring the landing page is in line with the traffic source will assist the Conversion rate and this will give you the basis to ensure from the Advertiser side you’re doing everything you can to make sure the traffic being diverted to convert effectively.

What measures can affiliates and operators take to verify credibility and transparency before entering into a partnership?

Edward: Before entering a partnership, affiliates should take several measures to verify credibility and transparency:

1. Verify Casino Legitimacy and Reputation: Check if the casino has a good reputation online, even if it’s a smaller, newer brand. Reputation matters.

2. Verify Licensing: Ensure the casino holds a valid license from a recognized authority.

3. Assess Affiliate Manager Transparency: Check if the affiliate manager communicates clearly and in a timely manner. Look for indicators like a LinkedIn profile and their willingness to provide help.

4. Review Terms and Conditions: Carefully read and understand the casino’s terms and conditions. Print a copy at the time of signup and review terms that may affect your operations. Changes in terms can impact affiliate earnings, so awareness is crucial.

To verify credibility with affiliates, operators should implement these steps:

1.Adopt Affiliate Roulette as your standard protocol, requiring affiliate managers to leave feedback on all affiliates used. Building a history of feedback takes time, consistency is key to achieving viable results.

2.Integrate Affiliate Roulette URL: Include a field for “Affiliate Roulette URL” during affiliate registration. This allows affiliate managers to pre-vet affiliates by reading their reviews and past performances on Affiliate Roulette. Encourage affiliates without a profile to create one—it’s free.

3. Verify Affiliate Sources: Check the validity of affiliates. Verify their website URL and ownership. Understand their other traffic sources and player acquisition methods.

By implementing these measures, both affiliates and operators can ensure credibility and transparency before committing to partnerships, fostering trust and mutually beneficial collaborations.

Brendon: This is where Affiliate Roulette and Affiliate Leaders come into the equation,

• Affiliate Roulette is a trust-based platform where Affiliate Managers can put reviews on affiliate partners, so if you’re new to the industry you can have recommendations on who to start collaborating with.
  
• Affiliate Leaders organise nearly 8 events per year in different countries for the iGaming vertical where Advertiser/Publishers/Suppliers attend to bring the industry together and discuss collaboration face to face. Using both solutions in your Affiliate Marketing strategies will assist you in establishing credibility, trust and transparency within the iGaming industry.

What data or performance metrics do you consider most crucial for fostering trust and transparency between affiliates and operators?

Edward: When affiliates seek to close deals with operators, affiliate managers should look out for several determining factors. The most important aspects concerning casinos and the traffic affiliates bring include FTD Volume, Player Value, Bonus Use, and Return on Investment (ROI) timeframe. Why are these important?

FTD Volume: As an affiliate manager, you want a realistic estimate on the volume of new depositing players an affiliate can generate to ensure you can cover the cost of acquisition. If you are paying a $100 CPA and the affiliate brings in 10 players, your chances of recouping your investment are lower compared to if the affiliate brings in 50 players.

Player Value: This is a critical aspect because player value can vary greatly based on many factors such as GEO or traffic source. Two affiliates in the same GEO can command different CPA’s even when all factors appear equal. Monitoring player value helps in maintaining profitability per affiliate.

Bonus Use: When players join, they often claim bonuses, but excessive bonus use can be costly and impact profits, even when other metrics such as Player Value is high. Affiliate managers need to monitor and manage bonus utilization to ensure it does not exceed profitability thresholds. Even a seemingly attractive offer like a 100 Free Spins no deposit bonus can significantly impact Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) if FTD Volume and Player Value is not adequately considered.

ROI Timeframe: How long does it take to recover the investment from players acquired through affiliates? Knowing the return-on-investment time on an affiliate is a good gauge for an overall expectation. Ensuring that the casino achieves ROI within an acceptable timeframe is crucial for maintaining budgets and cashflow. If not, adjustments to the deal or discussions with the affiliate about new traffic sources may be necessary.

These metrics are fundamental for establishing trust and transparency between affiliates and operators. They ensure that partnerships are based on solid financial principles and mutual benefit, essential in the competitive landscape of the iGaming industry.

Brendon: Advertisers would need to have the most accurate data possible as if you’re collaborating with Media Buying Publishers, they’re working with budgets in real-time so having real-time data or accurate postback mechanics applied correctly will ensure the Publisher runs campaigns at optimal efficiency with minimal budget burn. 

Publisher in order to assist the Advertiser in understanding the quality of their traffic and how they perform, having sample data from other campaigns in terms of FTD, Conversion rate and Netrevenue, this will be a key component to what the Advertiser is interested in and helps understand the legitimacy of the new Publisher.

How can both parties effectively handle disputes or conflicts to maintain trust and transparency in their relationship?

Edward: To effectively handle disputes or conflicts and maintain trust and transparency in their relationship, both affiliates and operators should prioritize clear, open and direct communication. When affiliates maintain a profile on Affiliate Roulette, they are taking preemptive measures to avoid disputes. With a history of operators vouching for them, it is harder for an operator to disagree with the results. Affiliate managers that access reviews and performance feedback before entering partnerships helps to avoid disputes and ensures they enter partnerships with realistic expectations. Affiliates can continually garner new reviews, solidifying their reputation and maintaining the trust and transparency they have earned, minimizing the possibility of disputes or conflicts.

Proper vetting during the onboarding process is crucial for affiliate managers. By ensuring affiliates are part of reputable platforms like Affiliate Roulette from the beginning, transparency is enhanced. This practice helps affiliates and operators address issues promptly, reducing the likelihood of misunderstandings or overpromising.

In cases of misconduct or fraud, utilizing community feedback mechanisms provided by platforms can be beneficial. Leaving public feedback on an affiliate’s profile serves as a warning to others and helps maintain accountability within the industry.

Overall, maintaining open dialogue, leveraging trusted platforms for feedback, and conducting thorough vetting are essential steps for both parties to effectively handle conflicts and uphold trust and transparency in their partnerships.

Brendon: By understanding the issue from both perspectives and keeping both companies in the loop on the development of the query. Sometimes letting each other know that an issue is still being reviewed and making sure communication is maintained until the query is resolved, is the common issue that can break trust and transparency when communication is stopped for a long period.

Can you share a specific example from your experience of how trust and transparency fostered a successful and enduring collaboration between an affiliate and operator?

Edward: Absolutely, my experience at Affiliate Roulette over the past year has showcased numerous success stories that highlight the core mission of our platform. Daily, affiliate managers inquire about the affiliates on our website, and we direct them to our website where they can find comprehensive reviews. This transparency is pivotal as it allows affiliate managers not only to identify reputable affiliates for potential collaborations but also to avoid fraudulent ones. Our platform distinguishes scam affiliates with a “Caution Sign,” which has prevented affiliate managers from incurring substantial losses in listing fees or upfront charges from dishonest affiliates or streamers.

For instance, a Malta-based affiliate remarked, “Our experience with Affiliate Roulette has been excellent! The onboarding process was seamless, and within a short period, we began seeing results with new contacts and deals through the platform. The attention to detail across the site sets new industry standards, presenting operators and affiliates in a unique and trustworthy manner.”

This example illustrates how trust and transparency facilitated by Affiliate Roulette have not only protected affiliate managers from potential scams but also enabled fruitful collaborations that drive results and set higher standards in the affiliate marketing industry.

Brendon: Unfortunately, deals aren’t always profitable from the start from an Advertiser perspective you might be paying more than you’re earning in terms of Netrevenue, so pausing a campaign for 2 months and restarting again down the line will give you more time and data on client behaviour you have acquired during the period you were actively acquiring traffic from the Publisher.

Communicating this with the Publisher sometimes leads them to understand the concern and they might be able to renegotiate a better deal, however, this scenario often happens where initial traffic didn’t perform the first 2 months,however, positive net revenue started generating over time and in this case, restarting a campaign with a Publisher will be appealing and even to run it for a longer period as there is data showing clients are playing for a long term basis.

For someone with no prior experience in the gambling affiliation, what steps can they take to establish trust and transparency with operators right from the start?

Edward: If you’re new to the gambling affiliation industry and looking to establish trust and transparency with operators right from the start, here are some steps you can take:

1. Be Open and Transparent: Affiliates should be forthcoming with operators about their business model and how they generate traffic. Even if your website has modest traffic numbers, highlight other assets like an email database of opt-in leads. Transparency about your capabilities and resources builds credibility.

2. Avoid High Listing Fees Without Performance: It’s important not to demand high listing fees upfront if your website or traffic metrics don’t justify it. While it’s reasonable for casinos to cover legitimate expenses like review uploads or design costs, asking for high fees without demonstrating performance or past reviews can create a negative impression and harm the initial relationship.

3. Join Trust-Based Platforms: Registering on platforms like Affiliate Roulette is beneficial. It allows you to create a detailed business profile for free, where you can showcase your business metrics, website traffic, target geographies, and more. This platform not only enhances your visibility but also acts as a reputation management tool where partners can leave reviews about your performance, helping you secure future deals.

4. Continuous Education and Networking: Engage with affiliate communities such as Affiliate Leaders to network with peers and stay updated on industry trends. Participating in events and conferences provides opportunities to learn from experienced affiliates and operators, enhancing your understanding of the iGaming industry and building trust through active involvement.

By following these steps, affiliates new to gambling affiliation can lay a solid foundation of trust and transparency with operators, setting the stage for productive and mutually beneficial partnerships in the competitive iGaming market.

Brendon: iGaming Affiliation has similarities with other verticals, however, the best approach is to look into the industry as a whole and know who are the big names first. Usually, even by attending at least one iGaming Conference, you would understand who are the major operators, and then looking into other review websites similar to Affiliate Roulette will give you the initial information you need to start collaborating with key operators.

Can technology play a role in promoting transparency between affiliates and operators? If so, what are some potential solutions or platforms that could be utilized?

Edward: Technology plays a pivotal role in promoting transparency between affiliates and operators in the iGaming industry. One essential tool for establishing trust is Affiliate Roulette, a platform where affiliates can create detailed profiles showcasing their performance metrics and receiving reviews from partners. This transparency not only helps affiliates build credibility but also allows operators to make informed decisions based on verified data and community feedback.

In addition to Affiliate Roulette, tools like Semrush or Ahrefs can further enhance transparency. These platforms provide comprehensive SEO and traffic analysis, allowing affiliates to demonstrate their organic search performance and keyword rankings. By sharing such data with operators, affiliates can illustrate their marketing effectiveness and audience reach with clear, measurable metrics.

By integrating these technological solutions into their operations, affiliates and operators can foster trust, streamline partnership evaluations, and ensure mutual transparency in their collaborations within the dynamic iGaming environment.

Brendon: Yes, Technology is very important when it comes to Affiliate Marketing, for starters real-time data is what Publishers have on their side, so keeping the most accurate data on the Advertiser is important, also Publishers have started even segmenting their data via AI tools to understand their client acquisition which also can be translated into CRM. A Publisher can leverage data more efficiently with all the technological tools available now, it’s all a matter of how much the publisher wishes to scale his business and adapt to the new technological advances. 

Is there anything else you would like to share about building trust and transparency in affiliate partnerships that we haven’t already discussed?

Edward: In addition to the strategies I’ve covered above, one crucial aspect of building trust and transparency in affiliate partnerships is ongoing communication and feedback. Regular check-ins and open dialogue between affiliates and operators help address any concerns or misunderstandings promptly. This continuous engagement ensures that both parties remain aligned with their goals and expectations.

Moreover, fostering a culture of integrity and accountability is essential. Affiliates should be honest about their capabilities and results, while operators should provide clear, consistent terms and conditions. This mutual respect and adherence to ethical practices set the foundation for long-lasting and successful partnerships.

Lastly, staying informed about industry trends and best practices can significantly contribute to building trust. Affiliates and operators who invest in continuous learning and adapt to the evolving landscape demonstrate a commitment to excellence and transparency, further strengthening their partnerships.

By combining these approaches with today’s best practices, both affiliates and operators can create industry standards that form the robust framework needed to ensure trust and transparency in the iGaming industry.

Brendon: As mentioned before due to Scams and other concerns in the Affiliate industry, building a brand and maintaining a strong relationship is vital.  Attending iGaming events similar to the Affiliate Leaders Summit will help you meet other like-minded Publishers to understand industry trends and meeting everyone in person can help you grow your network, the industry itself is the most approachable as everyone understands having a healthy network is key.

In this insightful conversation presented by The Inside Bet, in collaboration with Affiliate Roulette, we have had the privilege of exploring the dynamic world of iGaming with Edward Tabus and Brendon Spiteri. Through their valuable insights on trust and transparency in affiliate marketing, we’ve gained a deeper understanding of the industry’s latest trends and growth strategies.

Edward emphasized the critical role of transparency and openness, advocating for tools like Affiliate Roulette to create a trust-based ecosystem. He highlighted the importance of thorough vetting processes and honest communication to build credible partnerships. Brendon reinforced these points, stressing the need for mutual understanding and the benefits of regular, clear communication between affiliates and operators.

Together, Edward and Brendon provided practical solutions and actionable steps for creating trust and transparency, such as leveraging technological platforms, engaging in continuous education, and maintaining ethical practices. Their shared experiences and expert advice offer a roadmap for affiliates and operators aiming to build successful and enduring collaborations in the competitive iGaming landscape.

Thank you, Edward and Brendon, for sharing your expertise and for contributing to the ongoing conversation about trust and transparency in affiliate marketing. As the industry evolves, these principles will undoubtedly continue to play a vital role in driving growth and fostering lasting partnerships.