iGB Affiliate 66 Dec/Jan | Page 48

INSIGHT IS THIS THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR AFFILIATION AS WE KNOW IT? If affiliation is going to survive it needs much more give and take by both operators and affiliates, plus deeper commitment from each side, says Peter Marcus IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS a major betting operator closed its affiliate programme, another has placed affiliates on “final warning” and still more are reviewing their deals. The UK tax rate (GGR) has gone up, countries have closed, and operators have been fined many millions because of breaches regarding responsible gaming and advertising. Is this the beginning of the end for affiliation? The online gaming industry is going through a big change. It’s true that it changes constantly, depending on the regulatory and competitive climate, but this change is different, and we have started to see the impact on affiliation and operators. Affiliates are merging and becoming more like media houses than old-school affiliates. Mea