FEATURE
Figure 2: Percentage of operator revenues generated by affiliates
per month
Interestingly, the past year saw a
distinct drop in interest in affiliate forums
on the operator side – 41% reported they
didn’t use affiliate forums, a significant
rise from the previous year’s 27%.
Although GPWA remained the most
popular forum with operators, the number
using it had dropped to 38% from 51%.
There was also a corresponding, though
smaller, drop to 48% from 56% on the
affiliate side.
Widening the net
generally – while in 2016 the mean figure
for the percentage of operators’ revenues
generated by affiliates was 37%, in 2017 it
had fallen to 32% (see Figure 2).
One positive development to come out
of all the changes to the affiliate landscape
is perhaps the increased focus on more
personalised ways of communicating with
affiliates shown by operators in this year’s
survey. Given that poor communication
was cited by affiliates as an issue in both
years, it is likely to be encouraging that
operators are increasingly keen to keep
in touch in person (61%, up from 53% in
2017) and via telephone (58%, up from
53%) rather than simply relying on
affiliate program emails (68%, down
from 84% in 2017).
Figure 3: Affiliates considering becoming gaming operators
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iGB Affiliate Issue 68 APR/MAY 2018
The survey results also show that affiliates
aren’t resting on their laurels when it
comes to the changes in the marketplace
over the past year; rather they are ensuring
they have their fingers in as many pies as
possible. While last year’s survey revealed
that, on average, affiliates were signed up
with 37 operators and promoting 24 at any
one time, this year the figures had risen to
41 and 26, respectively.
There was also a slight increase in the
number also affiliating outside igaming,
with the percentage rising to 48% from
46% last year. Finance remains the key
area of interest for these affiliates, with
retail and internet services rounding out
the top three.
While both affiliates and operators
express some uncertainty about the future
of igaming affiliation, confidence in the
gambling sector more generally remains
high. On average, 81% of affiliates were
confident about the gambling sector
(down slightly from 83% in 2017),
while 88% of operators were confident
(also down a touch from 90% in 2017).
At a total of 37%, a slightly higher number
of affiliates (comprising 11% currently
going through the process and 26% not
currently going through the process) are
now considering becoming an operator,
up from 34% last year (see Figure 3).
One area where both groups see strong
potential is in new and emerging markets,
which operators and affiliates saw as