Affiliate Announcements
Catena Media acquires the award-winning affiliate AskGamblers.com for EUR 15 million
On 3 April 2016, Catena Media acquired the acknowledged and highly regarded affiliate website AskGamblers.com for EUR 15 million and thereby consolidates its position as Europe’s fastest growing company in lead generation. The transaction is the largest in Catena Media’s history and its third strategic acquisition thus far this year.
On 3 April 2016, Catena Media plc’s fully owned subsidiary acquired the affiliate website AskGamblers.com (“AskGamblers”). AskGamblers operates one of the markets most highly visited web portals for player reviews and rankings of online casinos. The company also provides players with the unique opportunity of trying online casino-related disputes via the portal and, to date, this has resulted in more than EUR 5 million being repaid to players. Players across Europe utilise AskGamblers with the UK being the company’s largest market. At the prestigious iGB Affiliate Awards, AskGamblers has won the Best Casino Affiliate for three consecutive years, most recently in 2015. The transaction includes all affiliate accounts, domains, mobile apps and social media accounts.
AskGamblers’ sales in the first quarter of 2016 amounted to approximately EUR 810,000 with a profit margin surpassing 80%. The revenue stems from organic traffic under revenue sharing agreements and is expected to generate at least 25,000 new depositing clients each year. Revenue will accrue to Catena Media from and including 1 April 2016.
AskGamblers’ development centre is based in Serbia and comprises a team of 30 employees, all of whom will be offered continued employment by Catena Media. This will give the company access to a talent pool of skilled employees in technical development and programming. Accordingly, Catena Media now has approximately 130 employees and has offices in three countries.
“We are incredibly proud of acquiring AskGamblers which is one of the best brands in the affiliate market and whose operations are a perfect fit for Catena Media. AskGamblers is an extremely important site for casino operators and, through its stringent requirements for certified casinos, contributes to creating a better iGaming industry. The transaction is the largest in Catena Media’s history and in line with our strategy of growth through acquisitions in a fragmented market. In parallel, we are strengthening our team with a number of highly skilled individuals and this transaction provides us with the opportunity to build the office in Serbia into an extremely cost-efficient development centre for Catena Media,” says Robert Andersson, CEO of Catena Media.
The purchase price amounts to EUR 15 million, which will be paid in three tranches: EUR 3 million will be paid on completion of the transaction; EUR 8.25 million will be paid when all assets have been transferred to Catena Media and EUR 3.75 million will be paid six months after the acquisition has been completed.
“Catena Media has grown into one of the most interesting actors in our industry and it feels particularly exciting that AskGamblers will now enter the next phase together with them,” says Igor Salindrija, founder and previous owner of AskGamblers.com.
About Catena Media
Catena Media was founded in 2012 and is engaged in performance marketing and lead generation predominantly within the iGaming industry. The company thereby attracts substantial numbers of online players through various products and services, and directs them to a number of B2B customers, mainly consisting of iGaming operators. Catena Media focuses primarily on customers who operate online casinos on their own websites. Customers typically use a network of marketing partners, known as affiliates, to promote their products and services and, thus attract more online players to their websites. iGaming operators remunerate Catena Media for each online player that it generates for the operator through such websites as www.johnslots.com/sv/ and www.rightcasino.com. Catena Media’s core markets are Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The company has approximately 100 employees. The Group’s headquarter is located in Sliema, Malta.
For further information, please contact:
Robert Andersson, CEO +356 770 329 28
www.catenamedia.com
Affiliate Announcements
IZIGROUP Partners with PartnerMatrix to Expand Global Reach
A new chapter of innovation begins as PartnerMatrix, one of the industry’s leading affiliate marketing software providers, partners with IZIGROUP to strengthen its global presence and enhance player acquisition through smarter, data-driven, and fully compliant marketing technology.
The collaboration will empower affiliates promoting IZIGROUP’s online brands, IZIBET and Dragonara Online Casino with cutting-edge tools to manage, track, and optimize campaigns more efficiently. This partnership reflects a shared vision for growth, innovation, and regulatory excellence within the evolving iGaming landscape.
PartnerMatrix, part of the EveryMatrix group, is known for delivering flexible, secure, and high-performing solutions that enable operators to scale their affiliate programs globally while maintaining compliance and transparency values deeply aligned with IZIGROUP’s operational philosophy.
“PartnerMatrix’s platform is the best in the industry, robust, reliable, and designed for performance,” said Cristian Rachieru, Head of Online Operations for IZI Interactive Limited, the company licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) to operate IZIGROUP’s online gaming brands.
“With PartnerMatrix and the full suite of EveryMatrix products powering our operations, we’re ready for a full house. This partnership will further strengthen our ability to connect with players globally while remaining compliant and delivering exceptional online gaming experiences.”
Hasmik Movsisian, Chief Commercial Officer at PartnerMatrix, added: “We are delighted to partner with IZIGROUP, a company that shares our dedication to innovation and responsible growth. By combining our advanced affiliate management technology with IZIGROUP’s strong brand portfolio, we’re confident in driving higher engagement, stronger performance, and lasting success within regulated markets.”
This collaboration marks an important milestone in IZIGROUP’s continuous journey of innovation and expansion. By uniting PartnerMatrix’s affiliate marketing expertise with IZIGROUP’s trusted brand portfolio and the EveryMatrix ecosystem, the partnership sets the stage for long-term success and sustainable growth.
Affiliate Announcements
BetGoat Partners with NetRefer for its Affiliate Marketing Platform
Crypto-first operator BetGoat has joined forces with NetRefer, the industry’s leading data-driven, AI-powered affiliate marketing platform, to launch and expand its affiliate programme with speed and precision.
BetGoat has quickly established itself as a next-generation casino and sportsbook, combining a crypto-only payments model with a sleek, mobile-first platform. The brand caters to players across Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam, offering extensive coverage of global and regional sports alongside a dynamic casino portfolio.
From Premier League football and NBA basketball to UFC, esports, and Formula 1, BetGoat delivers thousands of live events each month. Odds are updated in real time, while in-play markets give players the ability to act on every moment of the action. This focus on immediacy and responsiveness reflects the operator’s commitment to delivering a seamless betting experience.
Beyond sports, BetGoat’s casino and live dealer catalogue features leading providers such as Pragmatic Play, Evolution, and NetEnt. The operator processes deposits and withdrawals exclusively in digital currencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether, with rapid turnaround times and no fiat restrictions, ensuring both efficiency and transparency for players.
Licensed by the Anjouan Gaming Board, BetGoat places a strong emphasis on responsible play. Its platform integrates a wide range of tools that allow customers to set deposit, wager, and session limits, take timeout periods, or opt for self-exclusion, supported by a 24/7 service team. This combination of crypto-driven innovation and player protection reflects BetGoat’s commitment to long-term sustainability.
Affiliate marketing is central to BetGoat’s growth strategy. By selecting NetRefer, the operator gains access to performance insights and flexible reporting that allow it to adapt quickly in fast-moving markets. With the support of CoPilot AI, ASR 1.0 API, and the newly released Report Builder, affiliates benefit from actionable, data-driven intelligence that drives measurable results.
Crucially, BetGoat also utilises NetRefer’s Data Ingestion API, a robust solution that delivers 99.5% availability, standardised inputs, and frequent data updates. The API reduces delays and manual work by correcting errors automatically, ensuring affiliates receive accurate reporting and rewards with greater speed and consistency. For a fast-scaling crypto operator, this level of reliability and precision is essential.
Marky Chan, Affiliate Manager at BetGoat, said: “Our experience with NetRefer has been outstanding. We chose the platform for its strong reputation, reliable tracking, and scalability, all essential for managing BetGoat’s growing affiliate network. The onboarding process was smooth and well-supported, with clear guidance from the team. We particularly value the powerful reporting and commission management tools, which make tracking and optimising performance effortless. NetRefer is a reliable, user-friendly, and responsive partner, and we highly recommend it to any business looking to manage and grow their affiliate programme effectively.”
Amanda Camenzuli, Manager of NetRefer’s Account Management team, commented: “We’re excited to welcome BetGoat to the NetRefer family. By embracing the Data Ingestion API, they’re setting their affiliate programme up for success with accurate, standardised data and fewer operational hurdles. We look forward to supporting their growth and helping them reach ambitious new milestones.”
This partnership brings together BetGoat’s innovative, crypto-first vision with NetRefer’s 20 years of affiliate marketing expertise. Together, the companies will deliver an affiliate programme built on transparency, performance, and sustainable growth.
Affiliate Announcements
KVA launches new website: stronger quality mark and clear recognition for consumers
The Responsible Affiliates Quality Mark (KVA) has launched its updated website. The modernization is the result of months of preparation and stems from the first meeting of the Alliance for Combating Illegal Online Gambling in May 2025. During this meeting, participants, including the KVA, emphasized the importance of enabling consumers to more quickly and accurately identify which players in the online gambling market are reliable and legal.
The foundation of the KVA: Thorough inspection and legal security
The KVA was founded in 2021, shortly before the opening of the legal online gambling sector in the Netherlands. At the same time, the KVA Code was developed, which all affiliated members must comply with. Compliance with this code has a legal basis: it is contractually established between the KVA and its members.
The KVA Code is based on current legislation and regulations in the Netherlands and is amended as needed. The code consists of six fixed components:
- Contributing to channelisation and combating illegal supply.
- Responsible use of marketing channels.
- Careful and balanced design of expressions.
- Preventing deception.
- Tailoring advertising to addiction prevention.
- Compliance with the Decree on Non-Targeted Remote Gambling Advertising.
All members are fully assessed annually. They receive a comprehensive advisory report, supplemented with random samples and audits based on signals. Compliance assessments are conducted by KVA Compliance Officers, who operate independently within the organization under contract. This guarantees a legally anchored and reproducible assessment structure.
The foundation of the KVA remains unchanged. However, the updated website provides a clearer and more accessible overview of what the KVA Code entails.
Increase recognition
Previously, consumers weren’t always clear about the KVA quality mark when they encountered it on an affiliate website. With the updated website, the KVA aims to improve this by making the quality mark’s function more transparent. Individual certificates for each affiliated website immediately show how it was assessed, how often inspections are performed, and when the last assessment was conducted. We also specifically explain which KVA Compliance Officer assessed the website, for transparency reasons. The certificates increase consumer recognition.
The new website contains several extensions and improvements:
- KVA certificates per website : Each affiliated member has its own page with a certificate, which shows how the assessment was made, whether the organization behind the website has been verified, and who performed the last audit. All the different certificates can be found on the member page: https://kva.nl/leden/ . Many of our members have now set up links from the quality mark to their own certificates.
- KVA Team: Clear information is now available about the team behind the KVA: https://kva.nl/het-team-van-kva/
- Transparency statement: a page explaining the organizational structure behind the KVA: https://kva.nl/transparantieverklaring/
- Advisory Board : The role of external advisors has been given a more prominent role. The KVA is supported by Yvon Jansma (Center for Responsible Gambling), Peter-Paul de Goeij (online gambling specialist), Eric Konings (VNLOK), Anne-Jaap Snijders (Book of Sports expert), and Björn Fuchs (VNLOK chairman). Advisory Board page: https://kva.nl/de-raad-van-advies/
- Responsible Gambling page : comprehensive information for consumers about signs of problematic gambling behavior, tips for responsible gambling, and referrals to support agencies: https://kva.nl/verantwoord-gokken/
- Publications section : an overview of studies, reports, and warnings issued by the KVA. This regularly highlights the risks of illegal online casinos, misleading affiliates, and new marketing tactics: https://kva.nl/publicaties/
Informing and protecting consumers
With its updated website, the KVA is positioning itself more emphatically as a consumer information hub. It regularly issues warnings about the risks of illegal gambling through social media and accessible articles. In doing so, the quality mark aims to contribute to the channeling objective: encouraging participation with legal providers and combating illegal offerings.
Steven Vrolijk, representative of the KVA: “With the updated website, we’re taking the next step in professionalization. The quality mark will be more recognizable for consumers, while members can continue to rely on a robust and legally sound assessment procedure. Through our role within the Alliance, the constructive contact with the regulator, and the input of experienced market experts, we want to continue contributing, together with our members, to channeling legal supply and tackling the illegal sector. Naturally, we thank all members and affiliated partners for supporting our initiative.”
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