FEATURE
GAMBLING WITH COMMISSION:
TRUSTING
AFFILIATES IN
THE AGE OF
COMPLIANCE
There’s no denying
the value that affiliates
can offer to gambling
operators, but the
fact remains that it’s
not just marketing
being outsourced, it’s
a brand’s reputation.
With that in mind,
affiliates need to put
compliance at the top
of their agenda, says
Phil Blackwell
AS THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA
turns the screw on the gambling
industry and regulators scramble to
play ball, the issue of compliance is
fast becoming 2018’s hottest topic.
Operators are swimming in a bowl
of acronym alphabet soup with the
licence-hungry Gambling Commission
ready to gobble up those who prioritise
FTDs over GDPR and ROI over
self‑exclusion.
But, while the attacks may seem
relentless, it is easier to empathise with
the organisations that are dishing out
the fines than it is to sympathise with
the companies that are receiving them.
A genuinely responsible industry
should embrace the challenges of
compliance and strive to offer the
safest and most enjoyable experiences
for its customers. Easier said
than done.
In the July edition of iGB Affiliate,
Ian Sims of Rightlander described
how the crackdown on compliance has
affected operator-affiliate relationships
and resulted in the contraction of
many large programmes.
At Lindar, we work on both
sides of the fence: as an affiliate
with OnlineBingo.co.uk and as an
operating-licence holder with our
latest bingo site, MrQ. Our business
need to maintain affiliate relationships
with operators is balanced with our
maternal instinct to protect our licence
from being compromised by non-
compliant third parties.
All of which throws up the question:
can affiliates ever really be trusted?
iGB Affiliate Issue 71 OCT/NOV 2018
47